Surge
by WhisperedSilvers
Summary: Rukia's almost-execution became the catalyst that caused the Soul Society to question what was right and what was wrong. Canon-ish. Rukia-centric.
1. Prologue

**Surge**

 **By: WhisperedSilvers**

 **Prompt:** "I felt it too."

 **Summary:** Rukia's almost execution became the catalyst that caused the Soul Society to question what was right and what was wrong.

* * *

It was approximately one week since Aizen's betrayal—approximately one week since the Seireitei was betrayed by three of the captains in the Thirteen Court Guard Squad. It was one week—since Rukia's almost execution.

The thought should have shaken her to the point where her heart might explode with the furious pumping of adrenaline and her hands would tremble with anxiety, because she wouldn't know when these hands of hers would _stop_ all movement _._

Shockingly, it didn't.

Rukia accepted her death, even welcomed it in a melancholic manner, but when Ichigo _invaded_ the Soul Society, when her _friends_ —the humans that she acquainted herself with raided the Seireitei, she learned that some things never change. No matter how many times she would plead, she would _beg_ , for the orange-haired buffoon to leave her to die—to die peacefully, knowing that this boy was alright, knowing that he was safe, and knowing that he is _alive_ —he broke down the walls and rescued her during a coup.

He was still a stubborn fool.

Rukia shivered when she looked up. The sky was clear and the night was cool. It wasn't high tree she stood on, at least not to her. Her leg draped over her other as she lay against the trunk of the tree, it was past midnight, but too early to be considered morning.

Her powers hadn't returned yet and it would be a slow process before it did fully return. She hated being this weak, she felt useless, and protected. She didn't like it. She took care of herself for as long as she remembered, she did not want to be a burden.

She was tired, so, so tired—she couldn't sleep.

She still had nightmares.

Sometimes, she would scratch the back of her neck, needing the reassuring feeling of knowing that, that collar, that _constraint_ —was gone. Sometimes she could still feel that _monster's_ hand still inside her, rummaging for the crystal and sometimes she couldn't breathe—it felt _too_ raw and _too_ real.

"What are you doing up there?" A voice broke her thoughts and she looked down. Amethyst orbs locked onto a shock of white, her eyes narrowed before lowering in respect.

"I couldn't sleep, Captain Hitsugaya." Her voice was soft when she addressed him; she made no move to greet him properly. Partly because her legs were asleep and partly because she didn't know if she could bow with falling over, she paused for just a moment before she inquired with light curiosity, "May I ask, what you are doing in the Kuchiki compound?"

Rukia was well within her rights to ask this question.

Hitsugaya crossed his arms, leaning against the tree adjacent to hers, teal orbs glimmering with its usual coolness, "I came to pay my respects to your brother, he seems to be recuperating well."

She nearly flinched.

If Rukia were honest with herself, she would confess without any hesitation that she didn't know _where_ her and her brother stood. Her relationship with him was always rocky. She was grateful to him of course; he adopted her into the clan, sped up her graduation process, and took her under his very, very eloquent wings as an older brother. She admired him so, she wanted to prove herself to him that she wasn't a mistake and she wanted to prove that she was capable of being Byakuya Kuchiki's sister.

It was always a quick hello in the halls of the compounds, a quiet breakfast and an even quieter dinner. Those were the times she would see him, she really didn't know him and maybe that was one of the problems.

Distress welled up in her stomach.

But Byakuya was sent to retrieve her, he didn't try and stop her execution, he didn't even _try—_ she clenched her fists.

What kind of brother would stand by and watch his younger sister be executed?

But then, but then he saved her from Ichimaru's attack, injuring himself gravely in the process. Byakuya then confessed that she is his deceased wife's younger sister, the adoption was deliberate—a dying wish from his wife.

She was an _obligation._

And that hurt her more than she would like to admit.

A burden. It was something that should be stamped on her forehead and stapled with a warning sign.

She didn't care how much it hurt her, she didn't care if she would have to paint the sky red, and defy the Gods themselves; she would not be in _anyone's_ shadow.

It was time she proved that.

"Have you visited your brother, Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked. He was looking at her now, his eyes narrowed almost accusingly.

"No," She didn't care how cold or how emotionless her voice sounded at that moment. It was the first time in years that Rukia was absolutely terrified to see her brother, horrified to speak to him of all things and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. But _he_ did this to her and she needed to deal with herself before she could even _approach_ her Nii-sama.

Snowy eyebrows raised, it was an unexpected reply, perhaps he hit a sore spot, and almost hesitantly he inquired, "Are you?"

Her breath hitched, "No."

It wasn't any of his business, no it wasn't, and he didn't say anything after. But it was silent.

Rukia paused when she inhaled, wavering in her tone when she questioned him, "Is he awake?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya shifted uncomfortable with the situation regarding the Kuchiki siblings, "He wanted to know if you were…alright."

The dark-haired woman swallowed a bitter laugh.

No, she wasn't _all right._

What a silly question to ask.

"I see." Her reply was vague and he removed his gaze from her light, frail form to look at the pale moon.

"You should see him." It was an order.

"I should do a lot of things," Rukia answered back, her tone slightly acidic. Her eyes flickered from his face to the indents on her ankle. "My brother," That word came out more poisonous than she intended it to, she winced, "And I, will talk when it is necessary—"

"I said to see him, not speak to him, Kuchiki." Hitsugaya snapped irritated at how easily she seemed to play with words and not take them seriously.

Rukia looked at him, her eyes frosted midnight and she struggled to keep her temper in check, "Seeing leads to speaking," She didn't want to pull this card, especially to a captain, but he was going to cross the line of no return, "Clan matters are quite private, Captain."

He looked at her as if she slapped him.

Not only did she thinly insult him whilst pulling the clan card, Rukia successfully placed a wall to keep the distance between superiority and subordination.

Before Hitsugaya could reprimand her for her unruliness, the ground shook; vibrating with an unstable quake and Rukia nearly tumbled off the branch.

Rukia hopped off the limb and stood onto the shaking floor, her hand grasping the tear in the bark. Hitsugaya grabbed onto his zanpakuto and a light, blinding white flashed like lightening and thunder crackled into the heavens. The winds blew roughly, Hitsugaya's Captain's haori wavering wildly.

She felt a zing, like an electric current dragging across her nerves, static hissing like a maddening thing and she blinked wondering if the shock would stop. Ozone leaked into the air and she was gasping when the current left her—she felt like something alive just swam threw her and she looked at the snow-colored Captain.

She didn't even have to ask.

Hitsugaya's eyes were wide, glimmering with a cobalt sheen rather than aquamarine and his teeth clicked together, "I felt it too."

Rukia's knees nearly buckled when the crackling of thunder roared again, the zing coming back stronger, Hitsugaya's hands grabbed onto her arm roughly, pulling her inside the compound.

Like electricity she could see the visible static between their skin and his eyes widened when the current shocked him. Like a magnet, the shock grew stronger and Rukia nearly screamed at how hot the lightening burned her and Hitsugaya was gritting his teeth at the burning sensation—it stopped.

She collapsed to the ground, breathing heavy and his hand glued to her bicep, sitting on the steps of the compound.

Rukia was trembling for the sheer power of that surge and she looked at the Captain with disbelief.

Hitsugaya shook his head, but his hands didn't leave her arms.

* * *

 **Not sure if I should continue this.**

 _Please Review!_


	2. The Lion's Mane

**Surge**

 **By: WhisperedSilvers**

 **Prompt:** "I felt it too."

 **Summary:** Rukia's almost execution became the catalyst that caused the Soul Society to question what was right and what was wrong.

* * *

 **The Lion's Mane**

* * *

 _One week ago:_

"I spent endless hours pouring over Kisuke Urahara's research, he was the one who developed the technique of implanting a foreign object into a soul." Aizen clicked the purple device, before continuing, "So I reasoned that the answer to the question of how to remove one was hidden in his research."

Rukia was shaking, trembling like a leaf; never; _never_ had she felt such heart-stopping fear. Green pillars shot from the ground, spiking with triangular slopes pointing towards the sky, circling the two individuals, green leaves sprouted over Aizen's arm—red static crackled within the circle—

" _NO!"_ Ichigo's voice shook with terror, his eyes wide and feral. He lay immobile on the ground, blood staining a half of his face.

Aizen thrusted his hand into her chest, Rukia choked, coughing blood, limbs frozen and her heart nearly stopping.

She heard it, it was a mere whisper, but she felt her bones ache when she heard the familiar voice.

 _He's too close._

 _Don't let him get so close, Rukia._

She blinked, wanting the image to disappear, but his hand was still rummaging into her chest.

 _Fight back!_

How? Her reiatsu was dangerously low and her powers were gone—

 _Use mine, merge with my powers—live, Rukia—protect everyone that you hold dear!_

Sode no Shirayuki.

Rukia grabbed Aizen's arm, her nails digging into his flesh and his eyes fractionally widened. Her purple orbs half-lidded, but determined flashed silver—

"You think you can take what you want and be done with it?" She hissed. Her own voice merged with her zanpakuto's, "I will _not_ allow your plans to succeed!"

Her nails extended into claws—ice and she swiped, blood gushing from his cheek and the side of his neck. He hissed, smacking her with his free hand and for a moment black spots clouded her vision.

But Sode no Shirayuki had an ulterior movement. She began the seal her soul, her zanpakuto—despite the actual distance between her master and her katana—her spirit is always with Rukia.

Perhaps, she was a second too late because Aizen had ripped out _half_ of the hogyoku.

"How fascinating. I didn't expect it to be so small." Aizen murmured in interest, the small orb glimmered lilac and shimmered blue, "The hogyoku."

The hole closed in her chest; her breathing heavy and her limbs were shaking from the damage that was just inflicted onto her soul. Rukia wasn't even aware that half of the hogyoku was still inside her and _still_ locked inside her.

"And no permanent harm to the soul." His glasses reflected in the light, "What an astounding technique." Aizen grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off of the ground, purple eyes dilated, his voice was dark and detached when he simply stated, "It's too bad, but I just don't have a use for you anymore. Kill her, Gin."

The earth shook, groaning and Gin turned, his smile sadistic and his hair silver like his zanpakuto, "Well if I must," He unsheathed his zanpakuto and summoned his shikai, " **Shoot to Kill** : Shinso!"

His zanpakuto extended, slivering like a snake and Rukia felt her heart drop. Byakuya appeared, snatching his sister out of Aizen's grasp, Gin's zanpakuto striking him in his chest.

Rukia trembled; blood coating her left arm and the Gin removed his zanpakuto. Blood gushed out in large drops, splattering onto the ground, minuscule points grappling onto her cheek.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia grabbed onto her brother's haori, "Why did you protect me?"

She didn't expect him to answer her, his breathing was heavy and blood was rushing down his body in streams. She heard a sound of metal and her eyes flickered up, Aizen was walking towards him and on instinct her arms covered her Nii-sama in a protective embrace.

But then he stopped and looked up.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, and steel ring! Move and become the wind stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! **Hadō** sixty-three _:_ **Raikōhō!"**

A lightening bolt crashed onto the earth.

The Captains had arrived.

* * *

 **Present Time:**

Captain Kurotsuchi cursed vehemently as he slammed his hands against the master computer. Nemu watched her master in polite indifference, her arms crossed under her chest.

"These imbeciles!" He spat with irritation; "I made it clear to the technicians to lower the speed of the generator. Do you have any idea what they have done?" He questioned his surrogate daughter, she didn't respond, only waited. "They've blasted the reishi generator. The subatomic particles were dispersed into the atmosphere, causing great static and uncontrollable power surges! The effects of the electrons within the atmosphere are unpredictable—who knows what chaos this would cause!"

Her neurotic tone bordered on the verge of questioning, "Perhaps shutting off the generators and power source would lessen the—"

"You fool! Our reiatsus would never replenish if I closed off the circuits!"

Akon unfortunately walked into his Captain's fit of rage and swallowed uncomfortably, when his golden eyes locked onto him. He marched with visible irritation, grabbed the lapels of his white coat and lifted him slightly, "I told you idiots to lower the generator, give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip out your throat and dissect you right now!"

"C-Captain, I did lower the generators," Akon replied nervously, his face paled at the sight of his sadistic captain, but then became relieved when he lowered him onto the ground.

The atmosphere slightly changed, he paused "On all of them?"

"Yes," He quickly added in for good measure, "Sir."

"So you're telling me that you lowered all the reishi generators and the generator exploded—on it's own?"

Akon was at a lost for words, he nodded.

Captain Kurotsuchi dropped Akon to the ground and ran some tests on the master computer. With the furious clicks of his buttons, he pulled up the analyses of the container and the contents reaction, "Nemu, I want a list of all the users with abnormal reiatsu. _Now_."

"Of course."

Something wasn't adding up and it made the blood under Kurostsuchi's skin crawl.

It was within the span of twenty minutes that the Captain of the Twelfth Division wanted to smash his computer with Ashisogi Jizō. Nemu came running with the list that, surprisingly, only had three names. "Sir, I have the list."

With no patience, he yanked the white piece of parchment and read it—eyes widening, " _This is it?_ "

His voice was booming and Nemu flinched, "Yes sir, there are only three people in the Seireitei that have elemental reiatsu."

"Head-Captain Yamamoto, Captain Hitsugaya and an unranked officer have elemental reiatsu."

Uncomfortable, she replied meekly. "Yes."

He slammed his fists onto the keyboard, "Goddammit!"

 **XOX**

Hitsugaya's grandmother used to tell him folklores when he was a child. She would never tell Momo, Momo was an innocent child, very naïve and perhaps terrified of such great tales—tales that seemed like nightmares. Momo should not think of such things. But Momo—her mental state lay in ruins of nightmares that had her in a deep coma. She slept in Squad Four's barracks, monitored by the medical unit and Captain Unohana. He felt his fists tighten.

After the night of the power surge, the Head-Captain announced that there will be a Captain _and_ lieutenant summit taking place in the Kuchiki household, the intention was to accommodate for Captain Kuchiki. He entered the compound, the meeting was held in the gardens and it baffled Hitsugaya that such a solemn meeting would take place in an area full of harmony and prosperity.

The wooden porch opened into the garden with a weeping Sakura tree that barely graced the lake's surface, a bridge with a reddish hue and mahogany-colored spindles that climbed over the pool of water, this connected the entry into the garden itself.

The Captains kneeled in customary formation, each Captain parallel contrasting by the numbers on their haori. Head-Captain Yamamoto sat on the stoop, inches higher than the actual captains. Each Captain's Lieutenant was seated behind them. Captain Kuchiki leaned against one of the trees under that shaded the Captains and lieutenants. On his left were his lieutenant and the other his younger sister. Her face masked in a cold stone of indifference.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at this picture, but he didn't voice his question. The little Kuchiki was an unseated officer, assuming that her brother didn't want her out of his sight—the Aizen incident had not just shaken him, but shook the entire Seireitei—his eyes flickered to the Head-Captain, perhaps this was meant to appease the head of the Kuchiki clan—but then the dark-haired woman flickered her eyes to his and caught him in a trance.

Hitsugaya sat in front of Matsumoto who flashed him a small smile—the very same smile that didn't register till later that day, but his eyes were on Rukia's. Her frosted over purple eyes seemed to hold all the snow in the mountains and gust with the icy winds of the coldest tundra. She was trying to tell him something—dark lashes brushed the sides of her cheeks and he narrowed his brows.

Then bright like lightening it _clicked._

It had to do with the _surge_ —not Aizen and that made something inside him still.

 _Be on guard._

Rukia released the hold she had on his eyes by lowering her lashes down, her eyes focusing on her tightening fists. She didn't want to come to the summit, mostly because of her brother and she hadn't figured what that damn _static_ was. Which apparently, only seemed to act up when she and Captain Hitsugaya were in the same room. She felt her fingers burn and she prayed that Sode no Shirayuki would cool her fingers just for a little while, her head felt hot and she needed to think.

Something, _something_ inside her, told her that this was not about Aizen—that this meeting was about the surge that had blasted inside the Seireitei last night.

"Last night at specifically one forty-nine in the morning an electrical surge pulsed throughout the Seireitei," Head-Captain Yamamoto began, his eyes were closed and continued, "This was no mere accident, and this was due to a malfunction in the Department of Research and Development."

Captain Kurotsuchi bristled, but otherwise remained silent—knowing that the Head-Captain was not finished.

"According to the report that was submitted by Captain Hitsugaya,"

Rukia stilled; Byakuya's eye caught the movement out of his peripheral vision and his eyes narrowed.

She closed her eyes in acceptance.

 _He told him. He had to report to him. It's nothing Rukia, nothing at all. It was protocol. He did not have a choice._

"—the surge affected him and the un-seated officer of Captain Ukitake's squad, Rukia Kuchiki."

Suddenly, Rukia felt everyone's eyes on her. Her mask may be apathetic, but knots of anxiety were tying in her stomach. Her brother's eyes were drawing holes into her, but she tilted her head up and stared directly into hers. Maybe it was only for a second that she felt a silver of remorse, but she quickly squashed that feeling—she wouldn't feel guilty—she wouldn't, because who knew how many secrets he was hiding.

It was of empty gain to hold grudges, but she told herself continuously that she _wasn't_ holding a grudge—she just didn't trust her Nii-sama anymore, and that horrified her—she used to think of him as someone that would have her unconditional loyalty, now she wasn't so sure.

Perhaps Byakuya was stunned at Rukia's sudden hostility and coldness—but he only managed to inhale sharply before he turned back to face the Head-Captain.

And Rukia, she tried to convince herself that—that sharp intake of air was _not_ disappointment.

"Before I have Captain Hitsugaya speak of this effects of the surge, I would like Captain Kurotsuchi to _explain_ what happened." Head-Captain Yamamoto was _pissed_ ; he did _not_ need another problem to deal with—it wasn't even a full week since the betrayal of three of the captains.

"But of course Head-Captain Yamamoto!" He began with fake enthusiasm, cynical laughter lay in his bright false tone, "You see the night before I was doing extensive research on the hogyoku, and it's materials, the minerals, the substance it was created from. But that was only one part, you see!" He grinned with sadistic tension, "There was the whole chemical aspect of it. The hogyoku was created from very rare products, which Kisuke Urahara had collected. In the general search for other materials, I came across a document that was dated back one hundred years ago by Aizen no less!"

The Captains tensed, but Mayuri went on.

"It seemed that Aizen had created the hogyoku first, but it was incomplete! When Urahara completed his—it was perfect." He cackled without emotion, before his voice became deeper, "On a separate note, the electrical surge was due to an explosion from one of the reishi generators. My hypothesis is since the hogyoku has been taken and being manipulated in a way that we have no data on, the reishi generators have begun to act up."

"Even when the hogyoku was in the World of the Living, the reishi generators seemed stable and when it was brought back to the Soul Society the reishi generators were high. Meaning that the spirit particles were extremely active. The theory is that the hogyoku and the spirit particles in the Soul Society are connected in some way."

Captain Kurotsuchi walked down the row in contemplation. He began again, "However when the hogyoku was in Aizen's grasps the generators were unstable. This makes recovering reiatsu much more difficult. I began to uncover some documents that deal with our reiatsu. For normal users, we should not be affected by the surge—"

"What do you mean by _normal_ users?" Soifon asked as her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Precisely what I mean. Users whose reiatsus are normal," He continued leering at her for a minute, "Head-Captain Yamamoto, Captain Hitsugaya and Rukia Kuchiki are the only users who have abnormal reiatsu—their reiatsus are elemental."

The Captain's heads turned towards the Head-Captain in question, he nodded. "Yes, however old as I may be—I felt no connection during the surge. Only Captain Hitsugaya and Rukia Kuchiki." He turned his head to face the ice-captain, "Captain Hitsugaya, please explain your report."

"Yes sir," Captain Hitsugaya replied respectfully, he turned his head to face his fellow Captains, "However, I think it would be better if I demonstrated," He paused for a moment, teal orbs caught amethyst orbs and he motioned for her to come to him. Rukia hesitated for a moment, before she stood up and walked towards him.

Rukia stood in front of Hitsugaya and he grabbed her hand. The heat that covered her fingertips earlier was cooled by his hand and her mind-boggled at that. He gave her look that said, _trust me_ and for some reason she did. She nodded and took a step back—their interlocked hands in front of their chest, she moved her hand away and he did the same.

White static sizzled in between their palms.

The Captains started.

Ukitake spoke first, his eyes wide, " _How_ are you doing that?"

Hitsugaya shook his head, "I don't know. When the surge last night blasted, were struck with something like lightening."

For the first time this meeting Rukia spoke, her voice a deep wonder, "It was an electric volt. I couldn't move when the power struck me, I couldn't even scream and the surge only lasted for less than a minute—but it burnt into our reiatsus."

"How intriguing!" Captain Kurostsuchi's comment was ignored, the Head-Captain watched in quiet wonder at the two ice users.

 _Perhaps their reiatsus are connected._

"Kuchiki, er little Kuchiki," Shunsui began, his eyes moved over her figure for a moment and his lieutenant yanked his hat back in irritation, "Did this happen while you were sleeping?"

Rukia hesitated when she answered; she swallowed already knowing the consequences, "No this happened when Captain Hitsugaya and I were…together."

Ukitake's and Shunsui's eyebrows raised in unison.

This was most unexpected, but Hitsugaya picking up on the double implications scowled, "I visited Captain Kuchiki last night, Shunsui, Ukitake."

 _Don't think it meant anything._

Rukia expertly hid her flinch, but her brother caught the slight waver in her mask.

"The surge affected you both because you were near each other," Soifon concluded, her lips pursed, "What happened when the surge contacted you?"

"I pulled Kuchiki into the compound, after a few seconds the shockwave disappeared," The small captain responded, he finally removed his hand from the static and crossed his arms.

Rukia's hands trembled, her hands grew warm, but the white sparks disappeared.

"Perhaps it's an attraction," Unohana pointed out, the captains turned to face her, "Both of your reiatsus are of the same nature and when the surge exploded into the Seireitei it affected your spiritual pressure." Her eyes flickered to Rukia's and the bluish orbs softened, "But I think its affecting Rukia more."

Again, everyone's eyes faced her trembling form, she was breathing heavily and her eyes seemed half-lidded.

"Perhaps it was because she was a host of the hogyoku," She commented lightly as she walked towards her, pouring her healing kido into her hands and her patient flinched.

"That is a possibility," The head of the Research and Development agreed, he looked at her shrewdly.

"And she hasn't fully recovered her powers," She grimaced, "Rukia can you call out your zanpakuto's reiatsu, just a little bit."

Rukia nodded grimly, "I can try."

She lifted her hand and she closed her eyes. She concentrated. She thought of snow, of Sode no Shirayuki's valley in the mountains, she thought of how the snow covered her fingers and burnt warmly into her skin.

It began to snow.

Gently, snowflakes fell from the heavens and Rukia's glazed over. Her lungs seemed to contract sharply and she coughed blood. Her reiatsu was everywhere, in the air, in the humidity, in the clouds and when they exhaled they could feel ice itself coat their lungs.

Rukia didn't allow a little blood to slow her thinking process, "Shouldn't attraction be associated with opposites?"

"Not necessarily," Captain Ukitake cut in, his earthy-colored orbs darkened in calculations. "That is _magnetic attraction_ , what we are dealing with is reiatsu attraction—which means that reiatsus usually pair up with similar reiatsus—this creates a stronger base." Ukitake stood up and placed his hand gently on her shoulder before smiling at her softly, "Since you and Shiro-chan have special reiatsus, it is only normal that you two share a special bond."

Rukia blinked slowly.

And maybe, maybe she shouldn't have responded the way she did, but it seemed like the only way to make sense of—of everything. "We do not have a special bond. So, we share the same elemental reiatsu—that is where the resemblance ends. I had the hogyoku inside me and my powers are nearly gone. Suppose the surge only attacked me because my defenses were low—is it a possibility?"

The Captains looked at her in quiet surprise. An outburst—no, an answer like that was not expected from a girl that resided from the Kuchiki clan and the blatant bitterness that laced her tenor had Ukitake internally flinching.

He started off slowly, "Yes… of course—"

Hitsugaya suddenly appeared in front of her, on instinct she fell back a few steps and to stop her he grabbed her biceps. His teal orbs were blazing fire and Rukia refused to be intimidated, "This isn't just about you—this affected _me_ as well. Do you not feel it?"

She could feel electric currents running up her arms and sending nerve receptors in her brain into shock. She couldn't answer, her eyes were glazed and her tongue went limp—she couldn't breathe.

"Captain Hitsugaya, release her!" Unohana snapped, her hands immediately grabbing her waist to pull her back and he released her out of surprise—Captain Unohana never raised her voice.

But then he realized what he did.

Rukia was shaking, her eyes were dilated and she was barely breathing.

"Hitsugaya," Byakuya's voice was a black tone, despite his injuries, he managed to look just as menacing as he did on the field, "Just what are you trying to pull?"

Unohana began to pour reiatsu into her chest, her waist, her arms and her head. "She's fine, she just had a small seizure."

"A seizure?!" It was Renji who exclaimed in shock.

"I'm fine, Renji." Rukia replied, she could breathe again.

"She just needs to sit down," The Captain of the Fourth Division announced, she placed her back into a kneeling position—they had to finish the meeting quickly—Unohana and Kurotsuchi had to run some tests.

Hitsugaya didn't bother to answer Captain Kuchiki's question, instead he kneeled in front of her and the Head-Captain watched with hidden interest. His snow-color haired collected the snow that feel from the skies and didn't melt. Thick lashes brushed his cheek and he grabbed her face.

Matsumoto's jaw dropped.

Rukia was startled, "W-What are you doing!"

"Shut up." He looked at her intently and she snapped.

All the anger, the frustration, the depression, the sadness, and the guilt—everything came pouring out in her next sentence.

"Don't tell _me_ to shut up, Captain Hitsugaya," Rukia spat his name with mockery, "Explain to me what the hell—"

Hitsugaya didn't seem to care for her ire nor did he seem to care that he had an audience when he placed his thumb over her lip to stop her from speaking, his other hand flat against her ribcage. Rukia stiffened, her brother's reiatsu darkened to a jet-black.

Ukitake wondered if the scene would disappear if he blinked a few times.

"You have hypothermia in your lungs," He announced, his eyes darkened. A concerned murmur hummed in the air.

"What?" Unohana asked slowly, she poured some reiatsu into her lungs and inhaled sharply, "You need to get to the Fourth Division. Now."

"How did you know that?" Rukia exclaimed with irritation, the thumb from her mouth falling to the corner of her face, she couldn't even tell that she had a lung problem.

"I can feel it."

She looked at him, her eyes calculating, he wasn't lying and he was too honorable to lie—which made her feel a bit more safer, but he _did_ just use electrical volts on her—unknowingly, which caused her to have a small seizure. "Did you feel the current you electrocuted me with?"

Hitsugaya flinched. "No. I apologize…for doing that." He looked away uncomfortably, "It wasn't my intention. But I realized that acting on my feelings—increases the electricity."

Rukia couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something inside of her that said to trust him. She was hesitating on that notion, but whom else did she have to depend on? She crossed out Nii-sama and Renji completely. Her brother for obvious reasons, Renji because he was her brother's lapdog—she didn't care how harsh it sounded—she had Ichigo. But the stupid fool was back in the World of the Living.

 _Trust him, Rukia._

It was Sode no Shirayuki again, her eyebrows raised in caution.

Why?

Rukia was tired of being closed off, she was tired of being belittled, she was tired of depending on others, she was tired of being the damsel of distress and she was tired of being left behind.

 _Because he won't abandon you and you know that._

How does she know? How did she know? How was she so confident?

 _You are not a coward, Rukia! We are not an oversight! It's time you prove that!_

And it was times like these that Rukia truly loved her zanpakuto.

"I understand," Rukia, said quietly, she allowed Unohana to help her up and she coughed, blood dripping the side of her mouth. "We will talk later."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement and Captain Hitsugaya admired her spine.

 _Perhaps she wasn't a Kuchiki after all._

"I will look for you," Hitsugaya nodded his head, he removed his hands from her face, he didn't know what possessed him to wipe the blood that spurted from the corner of her mouth, the static tickled his digit and Rukia's eyes burnt into his. "Don't do anything reckless."

She glared at him and she replied dryly, "I'll try."

Hitsugaya smirked; perhaps the little Kuchiki wasn't so little. She was everything but insignificant.

"Captain?" It was Matsumoto who addressed him, her tone was laced with worry and she looked at him with concern, "Do you have the same wounds as Rukia?"

"No," Hitsugaya stood up, his eyes never left Rukia's, "I can feel any injury she has, but I do not have it."

"Perhaps the static was more than just magnetism," Captain Kurotsuchi pondered, he looked at the small woman intensely and Hitsugaya feeling her discomfort and irritation looked at the researcher with a warning, "Such a scary expression, _boy_."

His warning look quickly became one of fury.

"Enough," The Head-Captain had enough bickering for one meeting, "Captain Unohana will take Kuchiki-san to the medical corps, until we have an explanation or at least confirmed information from the surge," Yamamoto motioned Captain Hitsugaya towards the front, "I want you Captain Hitsugaya, to remain within a close distance of her."

Hitsugaya nodded in acceptance.

"You two are connected and until the proper preparations are made I don't want you two separated."

"Head-Captain Yamamoto," It was Byakuya who spoke up and Kenpachi watched with interest, "I do not believe that it would be appropriate for Captain Hitsugaya to remain in such juxtaposition with Rukia. She would remain in the compound until she is recovered, it is not necessary to burden Captain Hitsugaya with this task."

Somewhere inside Rukia she felt her heart crack and maybe he felt it too. She looked away from the scene itself and she felt Hitsugaya's eyes on her and then—he finally _understood_.

"I believe that _Rukia_ ," Hitsugaya watched how her eyes widened before he flickered his teal orbs to meet blazing charcoal, "Is capable of making her own decisions, isn't that right Captain Kuchiki?"

Rukia fought a smile.

Sode no Shirayuki's smug voice clouded her brain for a moment.

 _And the chains shall break._

Captain Hitsugaya challenged Captain Kuchiki and both Rangiku and Renji wondered if the world would implode.

Byakuya's wrath was something to be trifled with and unfortunately for him, Hitsugaya was not in the slightest bit intimidated. Before he entered the academy, he insulted the parts of himself that exposed fear and hesitation—it helped him become the Captain he was today.

"Well Rukia?" Byakuya's tone was hard and unyielding as he questioned her and Hitsugaya looked at her with a quirk brow.

"Let her and lover-boy be, Kuchiki." Captain Zaraki snorted, Yachiru nodding brightly on the back of his shoulder.

She was _actually_ given a choice. How quaint. It was certainly refreshing from being told what to do, but how should she answer?

On one hand she had her Nii-sama and he was her _Nii-sama_. Did she _want_ to be locked back in the compound like an misbehaved dog or—

Hitsugaya was still looking at her, his teal orbs glinting impatiently—

"I think it would more _prudent_ that I remain within a distance of Captain Hitsugaya, suppose there is another surge? Isn't that right, Head-Captain?" Rukia replied neutrally, her eyes glinting with a streak of mischief.

She _knew_ what she was doing, the Head-Captain noted silently, his closed eyes creased even more, "Yes it is. Now that this settled, please head towards the Fourth Division."

Hitsugaya hid his pleased expression by turning to face the Head-Captain.

Byakuya silently burned with quiet fury, she would be getting an earful tonight, and Rukia hid a wince with jerky movements she stood up. Unohana grabbed her from underneath her shoulder blade and Renji wrapped an arm around her waist—

"Oh," Rukia felt blood swim her throat and she coughed—the red liquid splattering onto her Nii-sama's very vibrant flowerbed, her limbs were trembling and she was so _cold._

"Lieutenant Abarai we must enter the division quickly," Unohana spoke calmly, she nodded towards the Head-Captain in respect, "We will take our leave."

Renji grabbed under Rukia's knees and used shunpo to follow Captain Unohana.

* * *

The tatami mat was hard against the wooden floor; Rukia blearily opened her eyes, the white sunlight muted between the wooden doors of the Fourth's barracks. She could breathe easily and she didn't feel so cold anymore. Her hands still shook when she raised them, she needed to start absorbing reishi—she didn't like feeling this vulnerable.

The door slipped open, she flickered her amethyst orbs to the door, Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Unohana, Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuchiki entered the room—on instinct Rukia sat up to greet them, thankful that her lungs were now properly working. The four captains kneeled around her tatami mat.

"It seems that you are recuperating well," Unohana smiled brightly, she placed a hand on her lower back, summoning a small bit of kido, "Yes your lungs have fully recovered, that's good. Do you feel any discomfort with your breathing?"

Rukia shook her head.

"Good," With smile still brightly plastered on her face, she turned to face the other three captains, "Gentleman, I shall be doing rounds. Please do not disturb the other patients," And with a sunny smile, she turned her head to face Ukitake who felt a shiver run down his spine, "I leave the rest to you Captain Ukitake."

Unohana gracefully left the room, leaving the sickly man in charge of the other two Captains in the room.

Ukitake swallowed before turning to Rukia, "You know you made Kiyone and Sentaro worry," He scolded lightly before placing a hand on her shoulder, lowering her back onto the mat.

"I apologize Captain Ukitake, it wasn't my intention," Rukia's voice was apologetic; she shifted her eyes back to the ceiling.

He sighed, "I know, Rukia. They will visit you later, I sent them to the World of Living,"

Rukia shot up, "Wait—what?

Ukitake pushed her back onto the mat again, "Calm down Rukia, they are only picking up a report from Urahara,"

A pause, "Oh."

"It's nothing important, they will be in and out."

"I understand, Captain."

"Rukia," Byakuya's voice was laced with impatience and she internally winced. Her brother had been waiting patiently. She openly disobeyed him, she hardly spoke to him and it was as if she _feared_ him. Which to her was the complete opposite. She did not fear her Nii-sama, she didn't trust him and that was that. "I believe you owe me an explanation."

Rukia couldn't help but reply with a slight bite in her tone, "I do?"

"Refrain from such a disrespectful tone, you are Kuchiki must I remind you," Byakuya snapped, his eyes narrowing in fury, "I would like to know why you deliberately disobeyed me during the summit."

"I did not disobey you."

"Rukia—"

"You give me a choice did you not?" Rukia gave her brother a hard look, his eyebrows rose, his younger sister never spoke to him in such a harsh tone of voice, "And before you could go on about my disobedience, I shall say this now,"

She sat up despite Ukitake's protests, "I refuse to be chained back into the compound like a misbehaved dog."

Byakuya's face was wiped clean of any emotion.

Ukitake looked at Rukia in shock. Never, has he ever, heard something so cold, something so ruthless, and something so put together—come out of her mouth before. Rukia was quiet and obedient and honorable—she shattered that image in mere seconds.

Hitsugaya sat silently observing the scene in front of him with quiet interest.

Her Nii-sama laughed bitterly, his eyes darker than charcoal itself, and Ukitake watched helplessly—not knowing _what_ to do. "I really don't know where I went wrong—I appeased Hisana by taking you into the clan—making you my sister—"

"No," Rukia snarled, she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to run and she felt so many emotions pouring into her that she wanted to—to, she didn't know what—but she couldn't take it anymore—she couldn't! "You made the _mistake_ of not treating me as your sister but as a _pet_ that needs to be cared for. You made the _mistake_ of neglecting me for years, making my self-worth suffer. You made the _mistake_ of allowing Central 46 to confirm my execution date! You made the _mistake_ of standing _and_ watching as the Sōkyoku was about to destroy me—you didn't save me— _Ichigo_ did! And it was only by sheer luck did he manage to _beat_ into your skull to _defy_ the law and do what was right!"

Rukia didn't see Byakuya's hand move to strike her; Hitsugaya caught his hand before he could make contact with her face.

Ukitake could only watch, his heart stuck in his throat as Rukia lost in the wind of her emotions and Byakuya lost to the guilt and temper of his actions.

"Don't _touch_ her," Hitsugaya commanded, his teal eyes glowing azure and he released his wrist roughly. "I assume that you do not want to _damage_ your sister?"

Byakuya slowly realized what he almost had done. He almost struck Rukia. He had lost control and almost assaulted his little sister. He felt his heart quiver, shame filled his lungs and _Gods—_ he almost maliciously and deliberately hurt his sister.

Rukia looked at him horrified.

Byakuya remained silent; he felt disgust recoil through his system before he used Flash Steps to disappear out of the medical unit.

Ukitake seemed to snap out of his daze and looked almost powerless at the situation that was presented before him. He stood up so quickly, that he felt slightly dizzy, "I-I'll talk to him, okay Rukia?" He patted her head gently, the way a father would comfort their young, "I'll bring back some candy, yes? Chocolate? You like chocolate right? Of course, you do. I'll see you later. I'll bring Kiyone and Sentaro with me okay? Chocolate with almonds?" He nodded to himself rapidly, barely understanding himself what had happened. "Right. Chocolate and caramel is better and you like Chappy, right? I'll bring him too. Okay, tonight then."

He left almost dazed.

Rukia exhaled softly, before dropping her head back onto her pillow, she threw a hand over her eyes, the stinging of tears already burning her tear ducts. Her voice was thick and clotty when she asked, "I suppose you will be leaving too, Captain?"

Hitsugaya removed her arm from her eyes and she was forced to look at him. To her surprise his eyes were gentle, but still revealed the streak of assessment. "Sorry, but I do recalling you wanting to talk."

Rukia couldn't help but raise a brow, her fingers felt raw under the texture of the blanket, his hand was warm on her forearm, "Even after all this?"

"You think an argument between siblings will having me disappearing?"

She didn't answer.

Hitsugaya snorted, "I was wondering when you would crack."

Her eyes widened, "You knew this would happen?"

"Of course," The Captain with snow-colored hair, placed a knee under his chin, his teal orbs penetrating her violet-colored ones, "Every emotion you have, I can feel it. I can feel your despair, your hatred, your pain, your guilt, your frustration—everything. Fortunately, I've learned to block my emotions—that is why you cannot feel mine."

Rukia has never felt so exposed before. She turned her head back to the ceiling, breaking the gaze, "And how do you block it?"

"I'm not telling you."

She snapped her head back, incredulity covering her face.

"At least not yet."

He still had so many questions and he still wanted to understand her. Hitsugaya concluded that the best way to try and understand this woman—was by feeling everything she did—even if it hurt him. Because now, now they were connected and he didn't know if this was for life or if it was temporary—all he knew that he was permanently tangled into _her_ life—and there was no way out.

Hitsugaya showed her his wrists, reiatsu burns, as if there were rope that tied onto his wrists and the friction caused scarring, "This is what happens when you are away from me for an ex amount of time."

She grabbed onto his wrists, her hands cold but, they felt—they felt welcomed against his skin. "How long?"

"You were asleep for six hours before the burns started," He replied calmly.

Rukia looked confused, she pushed back her sleeves. "Why don't I have any?"

"You were asleep. Our reiatsus lower when we are unconscious." He explained, "Assuming that because your reiatsu is practically non-existent, it didn't harm you."

"I got rid of the gigai Urahara gave me, I should be absorbing reishi even while I sleep."

Hitsugaya nodded, "Yes, but we don't absorb reishi rapidly." He paused to move his hand back to his side when he realized that he was still holding onto her arm, "In the Byakko Mountains, which is in east of the Rukon District, it has an underground spring which is overflowing with reishi. We will leave tomorrow at noon. The sooner your reiatsu levels are up, your health should increase dramatically."

Rukia nodded.

He continued, "As for this _link_ ," The word felt funny in his mouth, "You will live with me."

Rukia sat up so fast that the world around her blurred for a few moments, he grabbed onto her shoulders, steadying her, and she blinked a few times. The image sharpened and the color stayed in place. "Are you _insane_? Do you have any idea what my brother—"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "Careful now," He released her shoulders and watched her cautiously, before replying dryly, "After that move he just pulled—I assure you, he will have _no_ objections. Who knows what would happen if you were away from me for so long?"

She looked at him skeptically.

"Although," His eyes narrowed in anger, "I never would have thought that he would actually try and _hit_ you."

Rukia flinched.

"Even the great Captain Kuchiki has his limits." His eyes softened at her jerky movement, "Do not think much of it, perhaps it was just the heat of the moment."

Rukia laughed without humor, "Perhaps."

Hitsugaya watched her intently, before sighing, "I have arranged for Matsumoto to move your things into my quarters, for the time being you will remain here until Captain Unohana deems you fit to leave the medical unit."

"Understood."

Hitsugaya bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance, "You don't need to do that."

"Do what?"

"Speak to me as if I am your superior."

Rukia stared at him unabashedly, "You _are_ my superior."

He grabbed her hand and placed their palms together—static sizzling in between them like electric volts, "No. From today on, you are my equal."

It was four little words and they felt like the _world_ to her.

* * *

 **This chapter was ridiculously hard to write. I really tried to keep everyone in character. There is character development happening—** _cough Rukia_ — **I took a different perspective to her handling the truth.**

 **The next chapter should have more of psychological and physical explanation. Assuming that of course, I have started it. Please do not ask me how on Earth I managed to make a fic out of four words. Because I still don't know how.**

 **On a brighter note, I have much more light-hearted fic called** _ **Undertones**_ **. If you wanted something with more sunshine—for this particular fic, I want Rukia to grow and I want Byakuya to have an** _ **actual**_ **relationship with his sister and I did** _ **not**_ **expect this chapter to be so angst-ridden. Well, damn.**

 **Note1: You are all so sweet on tumblr!**

 **Note2: Questions shall be answered when received.**

Please leave a review, thank you!


	3. Into the Crossfire

**Surge**

 **By: WhisperedSilvers**

 **Prompt:** "I felt it too."

 **Summary:** Rukia's almost execution became the catalyst that caused the Soul Society to question what was right and what was wrong.

* * *

 **Into the Crossfire**

* * *

When Rukia woke, she noticed her ceiling was not white, but stained glass twisted into a vine of lotus flowers. She blinked a few times before turning her head to the side; she was in a makeshift futon that was tucked neatly into the corner of his office. Hitsugaya decided to sleep on his couch, the builders were still working on expanding his bedroom and she swallowed thickly.

Captain Unohana released her from the medical unit three days later, with orders to rest for at least three days before moving about. She wasted nearly a week in her bed, just to recover enough energy to move about. The sunlight glinted dimly through the windows, her eyes focused on the small ray of gold—the sun hadn't risen yet.

Crunching her abdominals she sat up. Running a hand threw dark locks, she pursed her lips—this was it. She couldn't stay in her bed for so long, she didn't like feeling unproductive—it was like itch that she couldn't scratch. A shock of white came hazily into focus, she blinked once and her sight sharpened. Aqua-colored orbs fixed onto violet orbs and with dark lashes half-lidded, he slowly, leaned back.

"Are you alright?"

Rukia paused, "I'm fine," She tried to focus on the blood rushing to her legs, "Just need to walk a bit."

Hitsugaya nodded, he stood up and she wondered when did he crouch down to speak to her? He stepped back a few paces and studied her carefully.

She forced back a twinge of irritation. She was low on reiatsu, not suffering a chronic disease. Rukia sat up and was surprised at the lack of feeling in her legs. Internally she winced when she felt the familiar 'pins and needles' sensation, exhaling lowly, she started to walk around the office ignoring the small inkling of discomfort. It took exactly three minutes for her to gain back the feeling of her legs again.

Hitsugaya spoke up, he was sitting at his desk now, his hand under his chin, and he wasn't quite sure what to say, so he spoke his thought aloud, "You look better."

She turned her head to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed, "What?"

"You don't look like you're in pain." He stated, he arched a brow, "Perhaps rest was all that you needed."

"Perhaps," Rukia tilted her head slightly, "What," She licked her lips before she continued, "What did my brother say?" She added in after, "Yesterday."

Hitsugaya stared at her before it clicked, "Matsumoto told you."

"Yes."

He sighed before running a hand threw his hair, "Your brother, unfortunately is still recovering. He lost a lot of blood in the attack. When I told him that you will stay with me, he didn't object." His fingers brushed a scroll before unraveling the parchment, "I suppose he couldn't, Head-Captain Yamamoto was in the room. His lieutenant on the other hand was quite vocal about his…displeasure."

Her jaw twitched but said nothing.

He caught the small movement and continued, "However," He focused his eyes on her small figure and frowned, "The clan didn't seem too bothered with the arrangement, why is that?"

Rukia stilled.

She wouldn't lie to him, she couldn't.

"The Kuchiki clan," The words left her mouth bitterly, "Does not care for something insignificant—as this."

— _as me._

His eyes narrowed, "Elaborate."

"I am adopted,"

He knew this and nodded.

"From the streets of Inuzuri."

It was like a stone dropped into his stomach and suddenly he found it hard to inhale. He knew what it was like to live on the streets; he knew what it was like to struggle, and to feel hope and everything good slip threw your fingers. It was…hard to hear that such a small woman came from the streets that practically salivated with danger.

She knew loneliness.

She knew hatred.

She knew rage.

She knew fear.

Rukia allowed that sentence sink in for a moment before she continued, "The Kuchiki clan has no need for a street-rat such as myself, " A flash of forlorn passed as soon as it came against the shadows of her face, "I was merely an obligation."

He nodded, "Your sister."

"Yes."

Hitsugaya didn't know what to say and it was quite surprising that the snow-haired captain was rendered speechless. Words seemed insignificant to the neglected sister of the Kuchiki clan and he wanted to do something, say something—his tongue lay limp in his mouth.

It was silent for a minute, one painstaking long minute.

"Tea?"

Her lips curled up, "Sure."

Matsumoto fortunately or unfortunately—Hitsugaya wasn't sure—appeared after the tea finished brewing and the sun was burning brightly behind him and it was eight in the morning and she was early.

"Captain!" Matsumoto came bumbling in, she carried a scroll in one hand and her other hand with a bag of—snacks?

"Matsumoto," A beat passed, "You're early."

"I brought a gift for Rukia," She turned her head to look for the small woman, "Where is she?"

"She went to change," He replied, "While the tea was brewing."

Rukia came back into the room in loose black sweatpants and loose white racer-back top, her hands shoved deep into her pockets and her hair brushed her neck uncomfortably.

"Rukia, I brought some breakfast for you." The blonde smiled sunnily, she took a seat on the couch and patted the empty space next to her.

The raven-haired woman gave her a small smile and sat next to her, "Thank you, Lieutenant—"

"Rangiku, Rukia."

She paused when she brushed the edges of the plastic bag, "Rangiku, thank you."

"It's not a problem," She grinned, "Captain I brought some watermelon squares if you want."

His ears burnt and Rukia's eyes widened fractionally at the small brush of red.

"Dammit Matsumoto," He grumbled before taking a seat on his makeshift bed, "I can't let you near people for one minute without you spilling my personal information."

She laughed and it sounded like bells. Rukia's ears twitched, "Isn't this…dessert?"

"Yes," She shrugged, "Lots of westerners eat dessert for breakfast. I thought you would like some custard and dango. You need some sugar—it'll make you smile."

Rukia felt warm wave of appreciation cover her being for a second. It was like a blanket of light covering her being and then disappearing with a wind that was colored silver.

With quick fingers, she grabbed a stick of dango and slowly chewed the sweet dough. The sugary delight warmed the ice that was shattered in the depths of her soul; a sip of tea had her nerves calm and her mind clear.

"Here Captain," Rangiku handed her captain a scroll before adding in brightly, "Straight from Head-Captain Yamamoto himself."

Hitsugaya swiftly unraveled the parchment, his mouth quirking up slowly and his lieutenant felt a sliver of apprehension.

"Captain?"

"It's an approval scroll."

"Approval?" She blinked, "For what?"

"Approval for us," He motioned the smaller girl, "To enter the Byakko Mountains."

"You're going there?" She raised her eyebrows; she bit the inside of her cheek.

"I know."

He answered her unspoken question without even looking at her.

Matsumoto didn't say anything after; she only hoped that her Captain knew what he was doing.

 **X**

The Byakko Mountains was rumored that Byakko himself, ruled the terrain, with the grace of gazelle, the ferocity of a wolf and with the silence of a grave. Within the eastern district of Rukon had a small dirt pathway that led towards the mountain range. Rocks and mud splattered across the moss cluttered path. It was humid. Water thick in the air and it swallowed Rukia's just-healed lungs in a sheet of vapor. The clouds were grey and drooping, the heavens screaming of threats of downpour and she shivered when she felt a breeze brush her arms.

"Have you ever heard of the _Itsumade_?" Hitsugaya suddenly questioned, his hands twitched when a prickly branch brushed his bare skin.

Rukia thought for a moment, "Is it something like the Sōkyoku?"

He shook his head, "The Sōkyoku is a double blade, a weapon if you will. Then it is engulfed flames—this vaporizes a soul. The _Itsumade_ is a fire-breathing bird-like monster."

"Is that even real?" Her tone was slightly incredulous.

Hitsugaya grimaced for a moment, a drop of water splattered onto his face. It began to rain, the water collecting onto his snow-colored hair, darkening the strands into a silvery sheen—ethereal. "From what we understood, the Itsumade was supposed to be a myth. But as we all came to recognize—myths do not die so easily."

Rukia's violet-colored orbs watched the almost untouchable being in front of her, if she could even have a _fraction_ of that strength he possesses—there were so many things she could do. Even with the raw power he exudes within his arms alone, he remains seemingly fragile from a distance—the rain makes his form look somewhat tragic. She composed herself, "What does that have to do with the Byakko Mountains?"

"The Itsumade feasts on the weak," He noticed her flinch, but continued anyway, "Souls that are damaged, reiatsu-drained or just weak-willed are targeted. He is silent like Byakko himself, but unlike the tiger who thrives in playing with it's prey—Itsumade attacks in one swoop." His hair weighed heavily onto his forehead, he brushed the strands away, and "There have been rumors that he lives along the mountain range. Byakko may be extinct, but you can still hear the Itsumade's screech when climbing the cracks of the mountain."

Her fingers tingled, but she remained silent.

"What I am saying is that," Hitsugaya sighed in acceptance, "We need to get to the spring quickly, because once your presence is detected on that land itself," He narrowed his eyes, "He will target you."

Rukia nodded, "How far is the spring?"

His feet stopped, in front lay the beginning of the incline, the rocks were grey-toned, with purple abrasions and fog began to trickle down the cracks. "Without flash steps, three hours." His tone was flat, "The spring is underground, it's like a cave," He raised his pointer finger and motioned it upwards, a white leaved branch brushing against a small opening inside the rock. "There. We need to get inside that opening. That opening is the second floor of the mountains, from there we will enter a forest, do _not_ use any kido—at all."

She inclined her head in understanding.

It was a long climb, maybe an hour or so—her uncut fingernails stuffed with the dirt of the rocks, her hands felt raw, and she felt vulnerable. She grabbed a small vine, lifting her foot and hooking it onto a small jutting rock, she pulled her self higher. The air was getting colder and wetter. The fog warmed her throat and it was easier for her to breathe. She blinked, water clotting onto her eyelashes, the rocks were getting slippery. Her nails dug into the harden soil and her she made her movements more steadier.

When they both reached the leaved opening, Hitsugaya parted the leaves before crawling inside and Rukia followed suit.

Unlike the perimeter of the mountain, which was cold and wet—inside the mountain was warm and wet. Almost like a rainforest. It was dark as they walked inside, a white light emitting from the cracks of the cave and she swallowed. The cave looked man-made. Carved onto the walls were groves that prevented the water from dropping into a waterfall.

As she walked further and further into the cave, there was a small opening in the left grove; the same white light from the cracks of the cave illuminated the small area. Entering the opening all she could see was trees, there were lots of trees and grass and _green_. The vegetation was certainly flourishing; it really was like a rainforest.

Towards the edge of a river there was a field of gold, she squinted, no it wasn't gold, it was a field of wheat and when bathed in the warm sunlight it shone like gold.

"This place is incredible." Rukia was barely aware of what she was saying as she watched the very colorful flowers speckled throughout the dirt clearings.

"It is," Hitsugaya, agreed, "It's also very dangerous. Byakko owns this part of the forest, that is why it is prosperous."

"Should we be expecting a visit from the Great White Tiger himself?"

He shook his head, "Byakko is extinct or so his remains tell us." He grabbed a branch of the birch tree and plucked a green leaf, "Itsumade on the other hand hasn't detected us yet, and this leaf will tell us if he did."

Rukia stared at the smooth edges of the leaf, it look like an ordinary leaf. "How?"

"When the Itsumade catches wind of us, this leaf," Hitsugaya held the foliage in the direction of the sun, "Will burn and turn into ash."

She hmm'd in understanding.

"Let's go."

Hitsugaya grabbed his sash where his zanpakuto was held, he walked five paces before sliding among the dew-slicked grass, with his seal sword, he grabbed the blade and jutted the blunt of his weapon against a tree and when an abundance of leaves fluttered around the couple, dancing in the wind, he grabbed a few and shoved them into the pockets of his kimono.

Rukia watched him with wide eyes. The ever-graceful Captain almost _danced_ with his zanpakuto—just like how she danced with hers.

It was one more mile before she began to see a weeping willow tree brush a cave's opening. With the sunlight glimmering against the greenery, it almost seemed like a painting and she was almost ashamed when she touched it.

"Inside." Hitsugaya said pulling the branches away from the opening and motioned his head for her to enter first.

All she could hear was the sound of rushing water. Gurgling and bubbling before she could even see it. Even with her zanpakuto tucked into her obi, her hand closed over the handle and she swallowed. It was dark, far too dark to see anything and cautiously, she walked forward, her feet slightly tapping onto the ground—stability was her main concern.

"Faster, Rukia—we do not want to stay here longer than deemed necessary."

She nodded even though he couldn't see. Her movements were quicker, the sound of the water rushing had gotten louder, a shade of blue light emitted from behind a rock and hesitantly she walked over.

It was the most bluest shade of sapphire, the spring itself looked it was glowing—it _is_ glowing, Rukia's eyes widened. With rocks surrounding the pool of water in a protective manner, the waterfall poured into the spring, with a white haze misting the area and then falling. The reishi simply blazed silver when swirling in the water, like smoke twirling in air. There was simply no need for light, the reishi emitting from the spring itself was enough light to illuminate the cave.

"Well?"

Rukia released in audible yelp, she turned around to see Hitsugaya with his arms cross under his chest, she replied quickly, "Well, what?"

He looked at her as if she were an idiot, "Get in."

Her tone was incredulous, "What?"

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched, "Get. In. The. Water."

"I have to get _in_?" Rukia inquired dubiously, this was _not_ good. She turned back towards the spring, she tried to rake her brain for a suitable rebuttal, but unfortunately her mind came up with nothing. He never said she had to soak herself in the spring—she thought she would just have to _drink_ the water! If she had known that she had to be submerged in the water, she would've refused and gained her reiatsu back the _normal_ way.

Hitsugaya watched as her face paled and how her hands shook. The obvious signs of distress and he couldn't understand why she was so afraid—

"I can't swim." Rukia's voice nearly muted, interrupted his thoughts and suddenly she felt very embarrassed.

Hitsugaya's teal orbs blinked in quiet surprise, sooty eyelashes brushed his cheek, and unintelligently he responded, "Oh."

Rukia tightened her fists. She felt incredibly selfish and disgraceful. Here, Captain Hitsugaya spent four hours scaling up the mountain and searching for this underground spring—just so her reiatsu could recover. Now when they've reached their destination, she couldn't even find the _courage_ to even put one foot in the water—she just _couldn't_ do it.

Hitsugaya walked toward her and she snapped her head back so she could see his movements. He grabbed her shoulders and now she was facing him and she felt really awkward—

"Just," He paused, he, himself didn't know what to say, he swallowed and motioned her towards the spring. He felt her shoulder tense and her eyes wide with apprehension, "Just look at me, okay?"

He honestly had no idea what he was doing.

When he walked forward, she took a step back and he kept this up until her foot hit the ridge of the spring. Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes were almost accusing. His warm hands curled tightly around her shoulders, "I won't let go."

Rukia felt a current run through her, it was almost comforting, It was an electric current he was somehow emitting threw her clothes and she felt something inside her twist uncomfortably.

Hitsugaya pushed her into the water, she shrieked and instantly her hands clawed onto his sleeve in a death-grip, "Hitsug—"

His knees immediately plummeted onto the ground, hard bone cracking against the rocky pavement, his hands still grabbed underneath her shoulders and he exhaled sharply, "I got you, I got you."

Half of Rukia's body was submerged in the water, her hands glued to his biceps, every muscle coiled with tension and her breathing started to increase—rapidly. Fear started to accumulate and the only grip of reality she had was Captain Hitsugaya's warm hands on her shoulders.

Hitsugaya squeezed her shoulders and that was the only warning she got. Swiftly, he released her shoulders, she yelped loudly, amethyst orbs flashing with panic and fear, her hands lost their grip on his arms and his hands trailed from her shoulders down her forearms and locked within her fingers.

This happened within the span of a few seconds.

Now Rukia's shoulders were underneath the water, her head above the surface and her hands locked with Hitsugaya's. She had to force her breathing to steady, her eyes locked onto teal.

"Easy, easy." He hushed her, "It's fine. I'm not going to let go. "

Rukia exhaled shakily, before she eyes him warily, "A little warning would have been…reassuring."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, "The element of surprise is always reassuring."

She shook her head; too tired to argue with him, she tried to focus on a point on the cave behind her instead of the water she was currently floating in.

"I have to go underwater, don't I?"

It was a statement not a question.

"Yes." The man with snow-colored hair, gripped her hands tighter, "Duck your head under. You will not drown."

 _I will not allow it._

He was startled for a moment, Hitsugaya wondered if it was he, who had formed that thought or the silent Hyorinmaru.

But when Hitsugaya looked at Rukia, her eyes frosted with determination—she had willingly given him her trust—her nails dug into his skin and she inhaled sharply before she ducked under, with her hands gripping his, he had to lean over just so her hands could be inside the pool.

He wouldn't let go—he couldn't.

The spring glowed almost lavender for twenty seconds. The spirit particles swimming towards the small woman, absorbing into her being, even with the water so clear, he couldn't see her, just light emitting from the being's hands and she quickly broke the surface—gasping for much needed air.

Hitsugaya moved swiftly, pulling her up and hooking his arms under her shoulders, yanking her out of the spring and onto the ground.

His tone was harsh, pestilent even, "Rukia, look at me. Look at me!"

Her eyes flickered open at the callous command. Visibly, he wilted in relief, his head fell back and he looked at her, exasperated.

She coughed, spluttered, the water wasn't even inside her being, but it felt like an invisible hand squeezing onto her lungs, which was quite ironic, even with her element being of cold and ice—water, it was satirical to know that she had a fear of being kept under. The tightening of his hands on her shoulders left that part of her body numb, only when he did release her shoulders did the cool feeling of blood rush back to the tightly constricted area—she was on land, the earth itself, she wasn't in the water, only then did she inhale shakily.

Despite Rukia's thundering heart, she sat up, contracting muscles that were still straining to breathe, wiping a hand from her face, she removed the water that was sliding almost slowly down her cheeks, she frowned, her head certainly felt a lot heavier, _why_ , and then she glanced down.

Her hair now reached just under breast, it left tangled mess on the back of her head, she lifted a section of thick, black, dark hair, and she wondered aloud, "Was this supposed to happen?"

Hitsugaya furrowed his eyebrows and then realized that her hair had grown significantly long, "I theorize that as your reiatsu reserves were filled quickly and to the brim, the excess reishi particles must have enhanced parts of your body as well. Do you feel any different?"

Rukia shook her head, "My head is just a lot heavier and the _surge_ isn't affecting me—considering how close you're standing to me."

He reminded her, "The surge only affects us if we are from a certain distance from each other," Then he added in thoughtfully, "At least that is all we know of."

"Right." Rukia stood up, she felt much lighter—physically and mentally. Who knew reiatsu-drainage could lead her to acquiring such pessimistic and cynical thoughts and feelings. She felt good—like herself.

"You look much better," Hitsugaya indicated a matter-of-factly, affirming her own thoughts and for a moment she was startled. Then she brushed it off. "Your reiatsu is much lighter, calmer even—stronger."

"I would like to think I'm in perfect health, Hitsugaya." Rukia said softly, she touched her zanpakuto with her pointer finger pointedly.

He stood up and assessed her, "Thinking and being are two different things, Rukia."

She ignored the silent insult, lifting her hand in front of her, and flexed her fingers. Her bones clicked with movement, the tension left her shoulders and she sighed. Much better.

Suddenly, Rukia felt the earth beneath her shake, rumbling and groaning—widening her stance she looked over at Captain Hitsugaya, panic seeping into her eyes and she grasped the hilt of her zanpakuto.

Within the span of a breath, Hitsugaya yanked the leaves out of the pockets of his kimono, black smoke covering the foliage before incinerating in front of him, despite his calm façade, turmoil was clearly churning in his stomach—he knew for a fact, that no one, no one saw the Itsumade, and lived to tell the tale.

"Captain—"

A loud screech rendered her deaf for a few minutes, the groves within the cave drizzled with large pebbles and fine dust.

"It's here—somewhere," Hitsugaya's words were jumbled together—almost mindless, when he grabbed her by the forearm and ran out of the underground cavern, dragging her along with him and she struggled to keep up with the frantic Captain, "It's found us, how did it find us?" He was mumbling to himself absent-mindedly, brushing past the willow branches that hid the opening, he maneuvered himself with Rukia till they were near a boulder of some sort that concealed their short statures, he needed a plan—he needed think of plan, and quickly.

Rukia, whom was perplexed by Hitsugaya's hasty and nearly panicked movements, looked at him with incredulity. His hand was attached to her forearm, with a durable grip, he seemed to be constructing a plan, teal orbs glancing at the angle of the trees—

She spoke quickly, "Captain, if the Itsumade uses fire, wouldn't it be appropriate to travel near the river?"

Hitsugaya's train of thought paused for a moment, he hadn't considered traveling towards the river, they wouldn't get out of Byakko's terrain today, that he was sure of, however….

"That is correct. However, judging from the circumstances of the topography, it would corroborate to be a disadvantage. The trees are a fire hazard; it would destroy the river, hindering the flow and burning the forest. Consider the angle of trees, which section of the forest would be less precarious for the animals, the vegetation and for us to travel by?" Hitsugaya asked, his tone methodical and he looked at her which such scrutiny—she felt it was as if Captain Kurotsuchi himself examining her under a microscope.

She blinked at the question, it was true, she hadn't considered the safety of the environment, and she felt almost ashamed that she didn't. The intensity of Hitsugaya's words—more than his gaze, forced her to think critically.

Rukia was by no means a tactician, she lacked the skill that made her a genius, nonetheless, she was intelligent, she was quick on her feet and she learned to manipulate the situation to play into her favor and use her opponent's weakness against them.

When she joined Squad Thirteen, Captain Ukitake had made it a habit rather than a chore of playing shōgi with her at least twice a week, he told her that it would help her become a better military tactician—she didn't understand why she needed to be educating this _thoroughly_ in tactics, but who was she to argue with her Captain? She would bow her head and obliged to her Captain's wishes.

Never once did she regret playing.

Rukia also did see her brother play shōgi with Renji when she was living at the compound; her brother's movements were meticulous, like serpent ready to strike it's prey. She would like to think of herself something like a fox, silently awaiting the destruction of her prey—clever—but deadly.

Rukia spoke low, her voice vibrating under the winds of the forest, "The leaves, we could use the smoking leaves as a diversion—it would burn out quickly and the grass wouldn't catch. The treetops, we could use the treetops to maneuver our way out of the Itsumade's path. Thirty-five degrees south there is another cave, even if it is a bit of distance away from the exit we could—"

"We could be undetected because the cave is reiatsu blocked—sekkiseki," Hitsugaya's eyes widened fractionally, as he finished her sentence. He could've slapped his face, why didn't _he_ think of that? "That's brilliant, Rukia."

It was his sheer tone of gratification that warmed her cheeks, she looked away—it's been a while since she heard such genuine appreciation.

* * *

It didn't take long to gather the leaves, with random intervals of Itsumade screeching, Rukia felt her heart twist in anxiety, when the smoke started to fly into the air—then disappeared. Hopping onto the treetops they made there way to the cave, it wasn't easy. If they used shunpo or even the slightest bit of reiatsu—the Itsumade could track them. Reiatsu leaves a trail—a colored trail in the eyes of anything other than a shinigami, animals for instance. The cave was within a mile's distance and Rukia nearly leapt towards the smoothened cavern with much vigor, but deciding that it would be quite juvenile to show such visible _anticipation_ —she curled down the instinct to sprint towards the shelter.

A flash of red caught the corner of her eye and on instinct she jumped near the Captain. The fire almost singed her arm, inhaling sharply—the screeching became louder, and her hands were shaking.

 _Gods—her hands were shaking._

"Rukia!" Hitsugaya's voice was firm, but with faint undertones of adrenaline, grabbed her arm and yanked her to his side. She stumbled of course, her feet tripping over the uneven flooring of the thick branch, she cursed silently and steadied herself next to him.

It was here—Gods, she nearly choked; the Itsumade was within a meter's distance. She didn't even have to see it to feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. It _pulsed_ with reiatsu, dark and suffocating—focus—she had to focus on something—anything—she couldn't breathe, and abruptly, Hitsugaya was in her face.

"Rukia, look at me," He commanded, his eyes were wide, but his hands were steady, "We are going to get out of here, do you understand me? Do you understand?"

If she held onto that small thread of hope—

Rukia nodded frantically, it didn't help her heart that was quite literally ready to jump out of her chest.

"Don't focus on it's reiatsu, it will suck you in and render you immobile—don't look into his eyes, it will paralyze you. You're going to be fine, just okay."

A wave of fire blasted in between and suddenly it didn't matter—they removed the hold they had on their reiatsu.

The bird was yellow, with red tuffs on its chest, behind it's ears, even on its tail—bigger than the trees—with it's grand wings it flew circling it's prey and when it roared—Rukia's eardrums began to ring. It moved with gold fire, almost blinding with flames, swallowing the presence of the sky. She focused on a fixed point on its beak—whiter than snow.

With a hungry screech it shook the trees of its very leaves and she had to get to solid ground. Fire was released from its mouth covering the area with thick blazes; she was stuck in a forest fire. She couldn't even see Hitsugaya from the profuse black smoke, or even from the raging flares and that shouldn't have sent her anxiety to rise in notches—he's a Captain—she needed to worry about herself.

Rukia unsheathed Sode no Shirayuki and coughed. The smoke was burning her eyes, clouding her lungs and her skin was beginning to blister. Run. She needed to find Captain Hitsugaya and get the _hell_ out of here.

She twisted her zanpakuto downward.

It's been _months_ since she last called out her shikai, it made her blood sizzle and the cracks of her nerves crackle with delight. With quick stabs to the earth, she lunges her left knee forward.

Finally.

" **Dance: Sode no Shirayuki**! _Tsugi no mai: Hakuren!_ " A burst of white built in the tip of her blade, forming into a sphere before it exploded in one blast, a cold rush of air icing its way through the crossfire. Using Flash Steps, she immediately began to search for Captain Hitsugaya—like a spider she allowed small tendrils of reiatsu—picking up for his presence—everywhere.

 _Where was he?_

She couldn't find him—couldn't locate his presence.

Shards of ice interrupted her vision. Rukia looked up and unexpectedly she felt a small inkling of silliness—of course he wasn't on the ground, he was _in_ the sky.

His bankai was something else.

Half of his body was transformed into a dragon; ice enclosed into a claws from his arms to his legs and with a swinging tail—teal orbs glowed neon—wings, wings that grew like a fan—fluttered in the air like a moth's wing. He was ferocious, with a snarl curled and white hair that made him look like a Spirit himself.

Hitsugaya flung his hands up, over and below. Dragons of ice came coiling like ropes, trapping the bird within a prison of some sort and it roared spitting fireballs that were the size of boulders—she was moving before she even realized it.

" _Hakuren_!" Instead of pointing her zanpakuto in front of her body, she pointed it upwards, creating a wall of white air—fireballs collapsing into steam. His eyes snapped toward the ground and instantly he spotted her small figure—her zanpakuto fluttering like silk ribbons.

The ice ropes snapped. The bird was furious, who dares to enter his reign! He swooped down exhaling a river of lava, squawking his wings shoved a force of wind that had Hitsugaya tumbling down towards the ground.

Rukia had to think fast, " _Juhaku_." She iced the ground, solid ice incasing the lava, like a hardened diamond burning and glittering in white. She didn't have an intended target; she had to get rid of the heat that tried to swallow the earth.

Placing her palm above her head she aimed before reciting the incantation, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! **Hadō thirty-one:** _Shakkahō!_ "

A red ball of fire emerged from her hand and struck the bird in his chest. Rukia could hear the crack of bone, the sparks of flesh cooking and she fought back a wave of revulsion when it wailed.

Ice curled against its wings, Hitsugaya froze its feathers—Itsumade should've been tumbling down, falling even, with that pressed amount of weight, but then he crackled his wings—ice shattering into snow and he growled.

He dove.

His beak coming down like a spear, cutting threw the wind like it was made of paper, he slammed his bill onto the ground, creating fissures among fissures of rubble. Hitsugaya may be in the air, but with the rapid jackhammer plunges that the monster hammered onto the ground—dust flew into the air like a tornado.

Unfortunately, Rukia wasn't so lucky—she couldn't steady her stance; she was thrown back into the trees. She groaned at the impact and blinked, a dizzying blur of colors swarmed her vision before it sharpened into shapes, nausea hit so hard that she felt a blood vessel pop in the pit of her stomach.

Her leg was broken—both of her legs were broken.

Faintly she could hear Hitsugaya scream her name, but all she could focus on was the Itsumade in front of her—it's tail flickering in a blue flame—smoke? She could smell it. It made her disorientated, the smoke, pitch black and her lungs were burning—like someone poured boiling water with a meticulous hand—she wondered if this is what her Captain felt like.

Itsumade snarled, the fires that were burning on the ground raised like a volcano spewing magma—raising to new heights, she tilted her head—the fire raised about the height of a Menos—how incredible.

It was like everything moved in slow motion—sparks crackling, burning in front of her—burning—everything burning and she couldn't find Hitsugaya.

The smoke was too thick—heavy in the air—heavy in her mouth.

The monster moved closer to her, like it was Byakko himself that was about to make the kill.

A crack was heard.

Rukia felt something touch her neck, something soft and fuzzy—startled she turned her head. It was a tail, turning her head, her eyes widened when she saw a fox. It's coat, white, as her blade, and his eyes—blue—pale blue, almost like ice itself. His tail, seductively curled around her throat, caressing the skin gently—the muscles in her body clenched, she silently waited with horror, for the animal to snap her neck.

But the tail lay playful around her neck, not even bothering with the Itsumade that was mere inches away from them—not even caring that the forest was burning and that the smoke nearly clotted the atmosphere.

With one ear-shattering roar the Itsumade released a torrent of fire, she closed her eyes and waited for her fate, but Rukia, she didn't feel a single thing.

 **XOX**

When Rukia opened her eyes, she was in her inner world—at least what looked like her inner world. When she visited Sode no Shirayuki in her inner world, it was snowing, small snowflakes fluttered from the cotton-threaded sky and the sky would gleam shades of lavender, pink and blue. She would be in a field of snow, with wooden lodges around and small lanterns that glittered like candles in the ice. A frozen lake—white crystalized flowers and pine trees. With the moon illuminating shadows on footsteps.

But this time, she was in the mountains, the snowy mountains, but it wasn't snowing—no, the sun had risen, she pursed her lips, perhaps an hour or two after dawn because the sun glimmered gold against the evergreens, the snow reflecting like blue lights and she wasn't cold.

"Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia called out, her voice echoing, birds—there were birds that fluttered in flocks.

"You called, Lady Rukia?" Sode no Shirayuki's voice came from behind her, she turned around, an eyebrow raised and dark amethyst orbs glittered in the sun.

"What happened?"

It was a simple question, but it pinpointed all the inquiries that she needed answered in one shot.

The beautiful woman replied simply, "You have acquired a _yokai_."

She blinked, "What?"

"To be blunt, you have contracted with a spirit."

Apparently, Rukia's brain decided that now was the time to _stop_ producing brain cells. She tried to rake over her thoughts to come up with a plausible response, regrettably, she couldn't. The smoke had interfered with her cognitive process.

"I apologize, Sode no Shirayuki, but would you please explain to me what is going on? I have no memory of what occurred in the last five minutes of my supposed demise."

The light-haired woman seemed almost amused, "Well, while the Itsumade was thinking of a way to destroy you, I was about to step in and manifest—by the way, how are your legs?"

Rukia looked down, "I can't feel them."

"They're broken." She murmured crouching below, her hands pressed onto her legs and the small-woman hissed.

"Despite what happened to your outer body, sometimes you can feel the pain in here." Sode no Shirayuki sighed, "Just don't think about it, Lady Rukia—it will feel numb until you reach the outside world."

She nodded.

"In the Byakko Mountains, not just the Itsumade reside here, many other spirits, demons, and contracts from the Gods themselves inhabit here. When the Itsumade began to prey on you, a kitsune caught wind of your soul and attached him to your essence. I saw no need to interfere. He would protect you just the same."

"Wait, why would the kitsune attach itself to me?"

She pursed her lips, "I do not know." A gust of wind caressed Rukia's cheek, she was cold—why was she cold? "Perhaps you should ask him."

Something inside the dark-haired woman stilled, "He's here?" Her violet-colored orbs brightened, "In my inner world?"

"Yes," A slight pause, "He is on the highest cliff, only a few minutes away."

When Rukia turned about, the snow crunched beneath her feet, inhaling the cold air as it sent shivers down her spine, she steeled herself—eyes clouding into gems—untouchable. That's what she aspired to be—untouchable, invulnerable—impenetrable.

"I'll see you at the top." Sode no Shirayuki disappeared into scattered snowflakes, before Rukia could ask where.

Rukia blinked. Her zanpakuto seemed annoyed. This _was_ her domain after all; to share her inner world another wandering spirit seemed a bit irksome. But she didn't question it; nonetheless she began her journey towards the highest cliff.

Her legs were numb, in the outside world they were broken—she would need a caste, two castes—how embarrassing. She stared at the snow that glittered from the sunlight of the morning, she needed to distract herself from the numbness of her legs, or she would feel the pain of the crushed bone.

The rock underneath her foot was much harder than the ones she just passed; she paused in the midst of her step, just for a second and she began to walk again. Rukia's eyes flickered above, where icicles hung like glass ornaments on the bluish rocks.

She stopped. The kitsune in front of her lay on a small patch of snow, the fox curled into a lazy position, with it's tail curled underneath his chin and his sky blue, opaque orbs watching her with keen interest. Rukia's feet refused to budge and so she stood there with her eyes wide.

Suddenly, the kitsune stood up and began to stride towards her, he circled her the way a shark would when they target their prey, and then his tail curled upon her legs—he nuzzled.

"Mistress," He purred, Rukia's mouth dried, hesitantly she crouched down and warily brushed the fur of the fox and the animal hummed with delight.

He leant towards her touch and sighed almost blissfully. His blue orbs flickered towards hers; "I've been looking for you for a very long time, mistress."

"Looking for…me?"

The kitsune nodded, "My name is Akari. My previous master perished many moons ago. I have been without a ruler for a long time."

Rukia paused mid-stroke; before she continued to pet the fox, she replied with quiet wonder, "Please call me Rukia, Akari. My zanpakuto tells me that you attached yourself to my essence? Why did you choose me as your mistress?" The word came out funny; she did not like when anyone addressed her with such high honorifics—she was not worthy.

Akari huffed before he flopped onto the ground in a playful manner; a muted giggled escaped Rukia's mouth, he was soft and warm.

"Well Lady Rukia, your _zanpakuto_ ," He hissed, "Is not too very keen on us sharing your inner world. She is a very stingy woman." He sniffed.

Snow began to fall, flakes dusting over the two figures, Sode no Shirayuki appeared behind Rukia with a scowl uncharacteristically plastered onto her graceful features. "I am _not_ stingy."

The fox snorted, his tan colored nose twitched, "Of course," Akari leaned toward Rukia in a possessively playful manner, his teeth baring at the snow-woman. "Now as I was saying before we were interrupted Lady Rukia—"

Sode no Shirayuki scoffed, not amused.

Rukia was bewildered at their _banter_ —if she could call it that.

He ignored her, "When the Itsumade descended from the cliffs of Byakko," He snarled, "My senses began to heighten. I knew I found a worthy ruler, I began a search for reiatsu—not reiatsu—I began searching for a soul," He paused before he chuckled, "It's very difficult to explain, I apologize."

Rukia smiled lightly, "It's alright, please take your time."

Akari nuzzled his head onto her lap before continuing, "My senses began to heighten knowing that there was someone in the mountains. I immediately started a search for an essence of a soul—reiatsu if you will. There were two I discovered, though similar in nature, one of the souls wielded incredible power, however his soul was _too_ in tune with his zanpakuto spirit—it wasn't quite what I was looking for," He flickered his soft bluish-grey orbs towards startled amethyst, "But when I locked onto yours, I knew you were the one. Your soul was pure—clean, even with a zanpakuto spirit—that you have bonded so closely with—I had to imprint on you."

Rukia blinked, her mind was rapidly absorbing the new material that the kitsune had revealed to her, and "You chose me because my soul was pure?"

Akari nodded, "Not everyone has a pure soul. There are many people who are good in this world, but not many of them are honorable. You are untouched—too genuine, like the element we wield in—snow—untainted. It was something like a flood or something."

"Snow?" Her eyebrows furrowed, the word _flood_ was tucked neatly into the confines of her mind, she would need that piece of information for later, her eyebrows smoothening into understanding, "You're an arctic fox."

The kitsune nodded, "Yes."

Sode no Shirayuki placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, "You must be careful Lady Rukia, foxes revel in trickery—mischievous things they are."

Akari looked appalled even as a fox, his sharp teeth curled, "I would never pain my mistress, zanpakuto."

Rukia's lips thinned, "Alright Akari, if I am to be your mistress—you are to treat Sode no Shirayuki with respect."

Akari looked wounded, his blue eyes wide with innocence—when the dark-haired woman turned to her zanpakuto she added, "That goes for you to, Sode no Shirayuki."

"You two are to share my inner world. Please cooperate."

"If that is what my mistress desires, I shall heed to your command." Akari lifted himself off of the small woman and bowed his head toward her stature.

"As you wish, Lady Rukia." Sode no Shirayuki inclined her head.

Suddenly, Rukia stood up, her eyes wide with panic—Gods; she couldn't believe she _forgot_ about Captain Hitsugaya, "Hitsugaya—I have to—Is he alright?"

"Lady Rukia, when you arrived in your inner world—time has stood still in the outside world," The lavender-haired woman soothed, her hands resting on her shoulders, "The kitsune can heal your legs, when you return—you must act quickly."

Akari curled his tail around her legs, "I will assist you mistress, please summon me when you are ready—"

The world in front of her began to fade, the snowy mountains disappearing, the golden sun, the snow, the numbness—the wind, gone. From pure white her vision flickered back to the smoke, the blinding smoke—the rage of the Itsumade in front of her, his beak pointed towards her and his loud footsteps that shook the ground.

Hot—too hot—it smothered her, her eyes watered and unexpectedly she was brought back to the pain of her legs, her broken legs and she couldn't see Hitsugaya—the smoke was to thick, the fire spewing like a geyser in Hell itself broke the tree branches and it began to tumble around her.

"Akari! Come forth!" Rukia spluttered, the smoke coated her lungs. A gold light began to swirl around her legs, covering her limbs and the bird launched forward—its beak ready to swallow her whole.

She stood up and used shunpo to flicker to the left, inhaling sharply into the black smog, she used Flash Steps to the back of the Itsumade, and whispered, " **San no mai,** _Shirafune._ "

The blade of her zanpakuto skewered the Itsumade, the bird squawked, but she placed her feet firmly onto the bird, ice clotted from the blade's incision on flesh—spreading, the frost covered the bird into a glacier—yanking the zanpakuto out of it's body—the ice shattered into glitter.

The fires and the smoke vanished—the remains of the burnt trees, the scarcely covered grass—she could _breathe._

Rukia's head snapped back, she had to find Captain Hitsugaya— _now_. She looked towards the front, the back—the perimeter she couldn't find him.

"Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?" Her voice clear with distress, panic and anxiety rippled in her eyes as she searched frantically for the snow-captain.

Violet-colored orbs frosted over with determination—she _will not_ leave without him.

* * *

 **There is a bit of Shintoism in this fanfic.**

 **The Itsumade is fire-breathing-bird-like monster. There is no true description to the monster itself, so I played with the features and it's powers. I tried really to keep the characters in character—**

 **I really didn't want to go into parallels with this fic, there was only one animal I could actually think of that linked—that was similar to Rukia and that was a fox. This is not Naruto. There will be some similarities, for example, Tsukuyomi is actually a moon god and Amaterasu is a sun goddess. So if these names happen to pop up—they actually are gods and goddesses.**

 **Kitsune is a fox spirit. Akari means something among the lines of "divine power." Byakko is a white tiger, which ruled the mountains outside the Seireitei, at least in this fic.**

 **I split this scene into two, maybe three parts.**

 **The next chapter is what transpired during Hitsugaya's disappearance, because I mean—he wasn't in the rest of this chapter for a reason.**

 **Note1: Thank you for the cute messages on tumblr! :D**

 **Note2: No, I don't have a beta for those of you whom were asking.**

 _Please leave a review!_


	4. The Absence of Fear

**Surge**

 **By: WhisperedSilvers**

 **Prompt: "I felt it too."**

 **Summary: Rukia's almost-execution was the catalyst that caused the Soul Society to question what was right and what was wrong.**

 **X**

* * *

 **The Absence of Fear**

* * *

He wouldn't lie; the feeling of rushing power that filled his lungs and his veins of his bankai was incredible. Ice covered more than half his body and he could feel Hyorinmaru purr in the confines of his mind, his tail curling around his waist—squeezing scales of electricity into his blood.

Smoke. It was black smoke, thick and profuse—his eyes watered. His lungs burnt, it was like a dry air that it tickled to back of his throat into a cough. Heat. Dry heat. Like a fireplace burning the bark of an oak tree, the type of dry heat that emitted from a fireplace that burned during a rainy storm, where the dampness in the air made the joints in your knees ache—where all you would do is curl up by the fire with a cup of hot tea.

But it was sunny and the sky was brighter than the ocean. Fire spouted from the earth like lava spewing from a volcano, bathing the ground in hell-red.

Hitsugaya opened his palm, thrusting his arm into the air; ice ropes grabbed the bird, tangling the coils into the demon's feathers.

The Itsumade screeched, the sound shattering his eardrums, it opened it's beak, whiter than snow and with the inhale fired balls of flames spinning like tops, blasting in red fire—not orange, blood red—so hot that it might vaporize him.

White. No, not white—it was a shade of white, lavender perhaps—gushed up, it was cold, freezing even, and he nearly melted at the ice—healing his scalded skin and disintegrating the fireballs with it's mist of ice. Teal orbs flickered down to see his dark-haired companion, her zanpakuto wavering on the ground like a silk ribbon.

She stared at him. Her eyes were determined, solid, and steadier than he's ever seen them, and it fills him with a rush of confidence, like a diamond that's been hardened under the intense pressure of the earth.

The Itsumade roared, spitting lava onto the ground where Rukia stood, it's wings fluttering like a maddening thing, the wind howled like a beast—tangling his ice wings—with his breath catching in his throat, a tornado of dust came tumbling towards him as the beak of the bird jackhammered the ground.

Hitsugaya had no control over the wind, the currents blasted his body like a rag doll and he found himself being pulled away from the smaller shinigami—horror etched into his stomach, as she was left to the Itsumade's mercy—it may have been a small, half-cut view—but he saw it. The earth quaked at the thrusting of the ground—it forced her back into a barricade of trees—trees that splintered into shards of bark and sawdust.

"RUKIA!" His scream prolonged with every ounce of breath he had left in his lungs. But the smoke was so thick that he choked on his breath—like an invisible string it pulled him into the river, his back collided with the had surface of the water, the welcoming sting was enough to snap him out of the fire that seemed to eat away at the forest.

His limbs were frozen, he _couldn't_ move them—even as the sun, a yellow orb at the surface that reflected onto the silver ripples of the river glimmered brightly—his mind focused on the memory of Rukia being slammed into a tree—her eyes rolling back into the back of her head—

A choked gurgle escaped his lips as white bubbled foamed into the water, water? He was _drowning_ , he was sure—he couldn't move his limbs? Why couldn't he move? How pathetic was he—the child prodigy taken down by a couple bursts of wind and tumbles into the water. His lungs were burning, but not with the heat or fire of the bird—burning with the cold icy feel of water—he needed air, why the hell couldn't he _move?_

The light was dimming, the sun was darkening and the water was getting colder—this wasn't a river. No it wasn't a river, it couldn't be—rivers weren't this deep, nor were they this cold.

Hitsugaya felt something curl around his waist, like a tail, it wasn't Hyorinmaru, his tail was ice—and ice floats. This tail, this tail is alive. With blood rushing through the flesh and muscle that augmented as the currents slammed into his body.

The muscle tightened against his waist and it yanked him downwards.

A gulp of water made its way into his mouth. He couldn't scream, for the fear of his lungs exploding and his heart bursting under the adrenaline. His back slammed into the floor of the river; the muscle pulled him down—

And suddenly he was sinking _under_ the bedrock.

The tail pulled him under the floor of the river—inhaling he was inhaling _too much_ water and black dots began to popup, clouding his vision, a buzz began to curl into his ears and then—blackness.

 **X**

"Now Toushiro, I'm going to tell you a story—a true story that is." His grandmother said, her eyes crinkled as she took the stick and poked the fire—another log carelessly thrown into the heaping flame. Momo was asleep in the back of him, a mere ten feet away from the blazing fire.

He blinked obediently, "About what?"

"Why the Mizuchi of course, it's an ancient folklore," His grandmother started, "During the times of chaos the Mizuchi appears. He is a dragon—a water dragon. A real being, with blood and a heart beating through its flesh. He was said to rule a kingdom outside of the Soul Society, an ancient realm where the Gods themselves used to run about—they called it the Byakko Mountains."

"You have heard of Byakko, haven't you Toushiro?"

He nodded, silver hair tickling his forehead, "The Great White Tiger."

"Yes. Unlike Byakko who ruled the land, Mizuchi ruled the oceans—the waters. Mizuchi the water dragon was one of the original dragons that were created by the Gods themselves. Do not be fooled, the Mizuchi was not always a dragon, no; he was very much a man. Being blessed by the Gods could also have been called a burden; it was the Mizuchi's job to travel from back forth to the human world and spirit world. He reported to the Gods about the shinigami and the human's interactions between them."

"Like a messenger?"

She nodded, "Very much so. Not a soul has seen Byakko or the Mizuchi himself in years—decades to be precise. However, there is a rumor spreading across Rukon."

His silver eyebrows furrowed, "What rumor?"

"Apparently his previous partner was destroyed. Slaughtered actually. Decapitation. He was strong man too. Unnamed maybe, but powerful. The Mizuchi was in anguish at the fall of his partner, cursing those who murdered him—he killed them. He swallowed them whole, like the sea when a storm comes—vanquishing everything in sight."

"What happened to Mizuchi then?"

His grandmother stroked the hearth, "Many things. They say that the anguish of him losing his partner caused him to die. They say that a fire spirit swallowed him. Some say that he still lives in Byakko Mountains, protecting the waters of the mountain."

Hitsugaya furrowed his eyebrows, "And what do you think, Granny?"

The old woman cackled, "I always knew you were sharp, Toushiro." She ruffled his hair before grabbing her pipe, "I think the Mizuchi is in the Byakko Mountains."

He tilted his head, "Well, shouldn't he be? If the Mizuchi originated from the Byakko Mountains it is only natural that he goes back."

She inhaled the smoke, "And if he is without a partner?"

He shrugged, "Is it necessary to have a partner?"

Exhaling the smoke she grimaced, sharp charcoal eyes burnt black from the light of the fire, "That is an excellent question, Toushiro. But I would have to say yes. To establish a partner creates a medium in between souls and the world of the Gods. A shinigami is that bridge."

"A shinigami? The thing that Momo went to become?" Hitsugaya's eyes were wide, teal orbs nearly swallowed by his pupils.

"Yes."

It took a while for that notion to sink into his head; he struggled to ask, "Is that why Momo went to become a shinigami?"

Granny shook her head, "No. I do not know why Momo went to be a shinigami. The Mizuchi isn't anywhere near the Capital. He lives in the Byakko Mountains—those who have gone to Byakko, they never come out alive."

The fire crackled, sparks and heat flying in careless directions. The cracking of wood and the wind howling outside the house made the last sentence seem much more eerie than it was intended to be.

 **X**

When Hitsugaya opened his eyes he could barely see the shadows of the water that swirled in the current. How strange, to see that he was still floating in the water, when he could've sworn he was pulled threw the flooring. His eyes widened, this wasn't the same rush of water he was pulled into.

 _He was breathing underwater._

This water was warmer and more ocean blue than storm blue. He inhaled sharply and he paused at the thought—how was he breathing under water? A silver flash caught the corner of his eye, quickly; he turned his head, nothing.

There was something in the water.

It was circling him and he couldn't make sense of what the _thing_ was. A glimmer caught his eye—eyebrows furrowed. There it was again.

Suddenly he felt a rushing of water, it pulsed in his eardrums, and he was being pulled up—up above the surface, emerging like the sun from the night. Bubbles swarmed his vision and he felt faintly sick as the quick movements caused him nausea.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Rush._

 _Slide._

He gasped in the air when he broke the surface. He was in a cave, or at least it looked like a cave. There was a ceiling for one thing, it was dark and had groves like the spring but it _wasn't_ the spring. The ceiling looked faintly like glass, he moved the climb out of the water, but something, something like a magnet pulled him down and he splashed back into the water.

 _Something_ didn't want him to leave.

He furrowed his brows, "What?"

"You learn quickly, ice-user." It was a voice, a deep vibrating and warm tenor that sent tremors up and down his spine.

Hitsugaya turned sharply and he found nothing. But the water started glowing, silver, glowing silver and he pulled back to watch _whatever the hell it was—_ surface.

It was huge; he could tell that _thing_ was going to be huge.

It was a dragon. With silver scales and glowing aqua orbs—the same color of his eyes. His snout was long and rounded, with whiskers that were dripping with water and it wavered in the air like ribbons. He was bigger than Hyorinmaru, his tail curled around the area and tripled over in a coil sliding and sliding around like a top.

"The Mizuchi," Hitsugaya breathed, his eyes widening with every scale that glittered emerald and reflected sapphire. A shiver so violent, it nearly cracked his spine, every pore on his skin became hypersensitive.

Too many things were happening at the same time.

His wasn't expressive, his face was blank and it was hard to read the creature in front of him.

"Oh? So you know who I am. How intriguing." He spoke, but his mouth didn't open, it was like a connection—a mental connection.

There were things in this world that many people in The World of the Living and even those who are souls in the Soul Society did not understand. The concept of shinigamis and the fact that they are in fact a _god_ , but more of a demi-god than anything else—however, they could still die, even though they were in fact, dead. Shinigamis are the bridge between The World of the Living and death itself. But there are Gods, real Gods that create and control those of different levels of death that create this _bridge_ between life and death. Souls, souls are something intangible and they are something you need in order to function.

Within the levels of death, at the highest peak or step for that matter, was where the Gods reside—the actual real-life Gods live. According to his grandmother, the Gods used to reside in Byakko Mountains, having figured that there were different hierarchies of death—they needed to reside elsewhere, for instance, another realm.

But there was a real God—a real God in front of him, in the medium of where the ethereal live and those who protect the living.

Hitsugaya hesitated when he asked cautiously, "Did you pull me down?"

"Yes,"

He didn't realize the burning question left his lips until he heard it, "Why?"

Hitsugaya could see the contracting muscles in his being. He was a real being. Breathing and with blood flowing in his flesh. A real dragon. That's what he was and he couldn't seem to _comprehend_ that fact, because he was still trying to convince himself that, yes, this really was happening and no matter how many times he repeats himself—it didn't change.

"Your essence," He paused, "Is compatible to mine."

Hitsugaya dared not breathe.

He could feel it. It was like a knot in his chest. A clot that needed bursting; suffocation—the dragon's spiritual pressure was more potent than Captain Zaraki's and Head-Captain Yamamoto's reiatsu— _combined._ His knees were weakening—which didn't make sense, from his shoulders down; he was submerged in the water.

The ice-user would never admit it, not even to himself—he swallowed thickly. Suffocating, he was suffocating, but that cool and composed mask of his—it didn't waver. He did not allow it.

The Mizuchi spoke, "Hyorinmaru, awaken."

His zanpakuto manifested in a fraction of a second, the man with blue hair, long and wild as the meadows of Byakko Mountains, kneeled in front of the dragon—the snow-haired captain stiffened.

He was visibly startled.

Hyorinmaru only obeyed to _his_ command—yet, yet there he was, before the older dragon, on his knees.

"Honored Mizuchi, it is a privilege to be graced with your presence," Hyorinmaru said humbly, Hitsugaya watched with wide eyes and dread quickly filled his stomach.

"At ease, Hyorinmaru."

Hitsugaya stumbled on his words, "Hyorinmaru, what—"

The Mizuchi interrupted his sentence, "Hyorinmaru is a servant of a mine, he hails from the arctic, and he is an excellent warrior."

It was hard to breathe.

"Master," His zanpakuto faced him, "Lord Mizuchi is the ruler of all dragons that have roamed the world, those in the World of the Living and those of other realms. He is the God of all Dragons."

Captain Hitsugaya couldn't even wrap his head around the word— _God._

 _God of a god._

"What is it that you want from me?"

"Boy, have you ever tasted ice?"

 _What kind of question was that?_

Blinking, he looked at him with wide eyes, "What?"

"Ice, from your zanpakuto." He elaborated.

Snowy eyebrows screwed together, he never fathomed the thought of placing ice from his zanpakuto into his mouth. It seemed wrong. It was from Hyorinmaru. His essence and it didn't seem plausible.

The Mizuchi continued regardless of not being answered, "Have you ever been complete with Hyorinmaru? Where the ice would freeze your cells and you can feel his reiatsu pumping in your own soul?"

Hitsugaya's pauses in between breaths felt like it was choking him with a gravitational pull, "My bankai allows half of my body to be covered in ice."

"What about your soul, have you ever fully merged with your zanpakuto?"

He grimaced. He'd never thought of ever merging with his zanpakuto, he assumed that his bankai was the highest achievement that he could ever attain with his zanpakuto—apparently, he was wrong.

"I see," It sounded like disappointment and the snow-captain refused to flinch.

The water was getting colder and he could feel the frost nip his skin. Is this how he was going to die? He couldn't fight the God of all dragons and _win_ —preposterous. Hyorinmaru was by his side and he didn't understand— _would he abandon him too?_

Even if his mind refused to acknowledge his fear—his body was another entity altogether.

His hands were trembling, Gods, his hands were _trembling._

The silver of his scales glimmered even in the dark cave, it was circling him faster and the Mizuchi was closer—moving closer to him and he stiffened.

"I have bonded with your essence, boy."

"What do you mean by bonded?" He asked, his voice was calm, but his stomach was in knots, "As in…partners?"

"You are _not_ my partner," The Mizuchi hissed, Hitsugaya flinched and he became almost rigid when he felt his icy breath wash onto his being, because that's how close he was—close enough for him to open his mouth and _devour_ him.

"Then why have you chosen to bond with me?"

He was bold, the God would give him that—he demanded answers and the dragon wondered if—if he was the one.

"You are the epitome of a dragon. You are ice, burning and cold—not pure as the other one who was here—"

The Mizuchi watched as Hitsugaya's mouth curled into something that was snarl, his eyes narrowing— _defensive_.

"—you have the ability to rule, to govern—to take everything. You _will_ take everything. I have been without someone who was equal for some time now—you shall be my legacy."

Hitsugaya could barely comprehend what was going on. Here, he was imprinted on as the Mizuchi's equal, he was pressuring him into feeling this type of suffocation, otherwise known as fear—was he making him feel fear or was he, himself, _terrified._

To distinguish whether fear that was thrusted upon you or to have the knowledge of being aware of that you are honest, to the Gods above, terrified was a feat on it's own.

But he would have to swallow his fear, he would have to move and move on.

The picture of Rukia, her back slamming into a tree and blood staining her teeth, dribbling down the corner of the mouth had the air in his lungs seem heavier and denser than the irrational terror that wanted to cloud him.

The _surge_ was the source of all his problems. The only time he'd ever feel such mind-numbing terrifying _fear_ was when Momo was attacked by Aizen and he felt blood-lust curl into his system like poison.

But it was different. Rukia, he could _feel_ Rukia. He could feel her fear, he could feel her anxiety, he could feel her despair—he could feel her _misery_. But she was so far away that— _why weren't his wrists burning?_

Whenever he is separated from Rukia for an ex amount of time—he is vulnerable to reiatsu burns. It was for that sole reason alone, that she moved in with him. Absent-mindedly he brushed his thumb around the scar of his reiatsu burn, "How did you," He swallowed, "Stop my connection?"

The Mizuchi, seeming to understand his unclear question, fell back a few inches to exhale, the air sparkled frost and it chilled the walls into glass.

"There is an electrical current that is running in your soul. It has nothing to do with your zanpakuto or your abilities to wield ice. This current bonds you with another soul that is compatible not only to your reiatsu, but to your soul as well." The Mizuchi paused and his gaze lowered towards the snow-captain's gut, "It was only a matter of isolating your reiatsu from your reiryoku. When combined with the electrical current, the overall spiritual pressure is unstable."

It was a simple explanation and it bothered Hitsugaya at how easily the Mizuchi could read him.

 _But he could still feel her._

 _Not burning—reiatsu not burning and he needed to think._

It was like a white heat that trickled the back of his mind, it sizzled and there were imprints of black spots flickering in his left eyes for a few seconds, the cornea itching—he refused to twitch.

It was that small bit of discomfort that pulled him from his thoughts of _him_ and focused on the main reason he was in this situation.

Rukia needed him and the desperation to see her was greater than the bravery he needed.

"I shall make this quick," The Mizuchi continued, he eyed his barely conscious twitching hands, "You are quite impatient, boy." His opaque orbs flickered to Hyorinmaru who was still kneeling, "We will discuss this… _situation_ another time. For the time being, your body is not suitable for my spiritual pressure. Unlike the other spirits that wander the Byakko Mountains, they merge their souls—I on the other hand," His eyes narrowed, "Merge with your soul _and_ reiatsu."

Hitsugaya spoke coolly, he numbed his terror into logic, "What do you mean my _body isn't suitable_?"

For one thing, it didn't sound _good._

"You're stature is to small and your reserves are as nearly as big as I require them to be."

Insulted.

 _He felt insulted._

"Nevertheless, I shall fix this…miscalculation."

Hitsugaya wasn't fast enough to open his mouth and inquire just what the _hell—_ because a bright light invaded his sight, he winced at the strain and he felt as if something was choking him. It was twisting around his neck and he couldn't _see_ just _what_ was curling around his neck—air, he needed _air_ and he was _gasping._

He felt it again. Fear. That mind-numbing, heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping substance that was known as, _fear._

He clawed at his neck, trying to remove the chokehold—

 _Was this the end of the great Captain Hitsugaya?_

But then it was blinding him, the light suddenly got brighter and he couldn't remember how to close his eyes. His heart was thrumming in his ears and he still couldn't _breathe_ —

It was dark now and he was underwater—breathing underwater and he couldn't see, but he could feel the bubbles swarm in the currents. It was cold now; bitter ice crept into his fingers. His eyes had yet adjusted to the abrupt change in light, he blinked rapidly and tried to speak, but water clogged his throat. Teal orbs brightened and he felt himself burning in the frosty water.

His legs, his arms, and his back—everything was burning. The Mizuchi's tail glittered silver in the black water, swirling like a shark, burning— _burning_ cold. Blisteringly cold and then he felt that fear again—immobilize. _Fear._ He remembered again. He had to move, because that picture was replaying like a tape, Rukia—slamming into a tree—blood—crimson blood and he couldn't be scared—he _would not—_

Buzzing, his ears were buzzing and it was like he was being stretched into an impossible angle.

He couldn't _think._

But then he felt something—something _shatter_ and then expand like plastic.

Then something crackled in the back of his mind—he could barely hear his own breathing, because now his vision was tunneling into a white that burned like the sun.

Silence.

* * *

Hitsugaya woke to the sound of the birds chirping and the sun setting. It was a bloody orange and a cold gold that filtered the sky in cotton threads. Purple splotches that looked more like bruises than actual flowers.

Sunset.

It was getting dark—

 _Rukia._

He stiffened.

Where the hell was _Rukia_?

He wasn't in the water anymore; he was on the grass that was scorched with shades of charcoal. The Itsumade. He stiffened, where the hell was the Itsumade? He saw nothing. Only the remains of the fire and the burnt branches of the trees that fell from the battle—he crunched his abdominals and sat up.

The Mizuchi?

Where the _hell_ was the _Mizuchi_ —he swallowed, it felt to real to be a hallucination, because his hair was still damp and even with his sodden clothes—the wind dried the water quite quickly, thus proving that he was indeed submerged at one point today.

But had yet had a proper explanation—which meant, that there were so many more questions that needed to be answered, than he desired.

Rukia.

Rukia was his number priority and he to find her— _now._

 _She couldn't leave because she didn't know_ _ **how**_ _to leave._

For one thing, he noticed that his pants were ripped, they reached five inches above his knees and the sleeves of his kimono were more like a vest, because they reached under his shoulders—he shook his head, his clothes should be the lesser problem.

His shoes didn't fit anymore, so he ripped them off and like silk threads weaved by a spider, he allowed his reiatsu to search for her— _right there_.

It was faint, like a glimmer of silver and warmer than the sunlight on a winter day. But then it was gone. It vanished from right underneath his tongue— _shit._

She was _right there_ and he almost pinpointed her location—then she _disappeared_. He silently hissed out a curse, because her presence just evaporated and _dammit,_ he was back to the beginning.

The hunt begun and somewhere, there was a wolf that howled.

Rukia was ardently searching for Captain Hitsugaya, she was in the mountains now, and the wind was arid and crisp like a whip. It stung the capillaries in her nose; she used a piece of her kimono sleeve to cover the lower part of her nose and mouth. She had been searching for hours and it really bothered her that she couldn't even _sense_ him. She wasn't vain, by any means, but she was pretty _damn_ amazing in Kido—which meant that she was pretty _damn_ amazing in reiatsu sensing.

She had searched the forests, the lake, and even the cave where the spring lay—she couldn't sense him anywhere. It was getting dark. The sun was setting and the wind was getting colder. Dangerous temperatures meant dangerous times.

The clouds were darker now, royal purple and golden soot. It was rich like turmeric and the wild blues collided like the earth and heaven. It glittered unevenly against the arid, white mountains, smoke fainter and greyer than slate, because that's how low the clouds were.

She didn't know if he would be in this mountain—the second floor of the complex landmark that was known as the Byakko Mountains. She had to try, because he could be _anywhere_ , which left possibilities, multiple possibilities—too many choices and too many options.

The air whistled again, burning the skin of her shoulder and it didn't feel cold. It stung because it was sharp like a whip, but as soon as it came, it left. The higher she moved, the drier the air became and she wondered how long would it take for her nose to start bleeding.

 _Inhale._

She coughed.

 _Exhale._

Patience.

It was something she excelled in.

The steady drops of water that fell from cliffs were conditioned to be soothing and tranquil. But this was between a life and death matter. Between what was knowing and not knowing, both dangerous and both incomprehensive. It bothered her, that much she knew because she couldn't stop her fingers from twitching, because she couldn't stop thinking and because she could still remember the silent warning he had given her earlier.

 _Spirits lurk in the mountains._

 _Not all are good and not all are bad._

The rocks crunched her feet and she decided she didn't care if all the yokai in the world decided to make her acquaintance. _Forget_ the reiatsu trail, _forget_ the dangerous spirits that lurked in the mountains—she couldn't go this slow anymore.

It was _excruciating_.

She had to find him and get the _hell_ out of here—because it was getting closer and closer to dusk and the struggle to get the out of here was _more than tangible._

Her ankle slid towards the front in a defensive position and then her other ankle twisted up—using shunpo she began to speed up the trails of the mountain. The cloth covering her nose and her mouth eased the sting of the dry air—faster. She had to move faster.

 _She couldn't sense anything!_

The rocks were jagged with blunt tops, smoothened with sand and she's leaping from one ledge to the other. If she could acquire a topographic map of what the terrain looked like, she could eliminate the sections she's already been to.

 _Faster._

Rukia came to an abrupt stop. Something she felt something. Her fingers twitched. It wasn't reiatsu—she couldn't feel any reiatsu. Nothing. But there was _something_ that made the hair on the back of her neck stand.

She could feel Akari's tail curl around her neck, even without it physically being there. The small trinket shaped in the form of a small, silver fox that dangled from the handle of her zanpakuto was enough indication to comprehend that he was with her, just as Sode no Shirayuki was.

 _Wrong. Something's wrong,_ Sode no Shirayuki murmured. _There is something there._

 _I don't sense anything._

 _Reiatsu is more spiritual than physical._ Akari pointed out, _what you're sensing is a resemblance of a soul._

Rukia frowned. It was like a presence, that inkling of knowing that something is _there_ —not being able to see it was like blind faith. She slowed her running—can't see anything—didn't see anything, where-?

It was an ear-shattering roar. The mountains were trembling, groaning and the earth shook in the fissures of waves. Rukia leapt to a higher shard of rock and she caught the color of burned wood from the corner of her eye, she ducked and the air hummed.

Turning her head she was faced with the animal or was it a monster? Because it resembled something she had seen in the World of the Living—dark fur and short, stumpy arms and legs—eyes wilder than the empty orbs of those known as hollows. But it was screaming and she was sure her ears were bleeding and she had to think—Gods she had to think.

He came at her and this time she used Kido, " **Bakudo number one:** _Sai!"_

It was the weirdest thing she's even seen, because he ducks underneath her spell, the kido slamming into the mountain, and he swipes his arm left—cut scratching the side of her left cheek. A thin line of red marred onto her face and she's _so_ close to the beast—she momentarily freezes until she blinks, breaking the spell and _moves—_ it was like she was channeling Sode no Shirayuki because she opened her mouth and it was missiles of ice crystals that flew—he dodged and it forced him back a few feet.

 _Focus Rukia!_

Sode no Shirayuki was so demanding when she wanted to be.

But how the _hell_ did it dodge her Kido—much less her Bakudo, she understood dodging _hadō_ —but _Bakudo?_

Rukia unsheathed her zanpakuto, keeping it sealed she slammed it towards his hands, almost instantly, he slid sideways, the zanpakuto cutting nothing but air and her eyes widened—

 _What the_ _ **hell**_ _?_

She almost didn't dodge the oncoming strike of its elbow.

It wasn't human, nor did it have any resemblance to having a conscience, but it was too _damn_ smart to be _just_ a monster.

Rukia knew the damn demon looked familiar and then her eyes hardened into almost royal purple. She remembered now. Ichigo had taken her to the zoo one time with his sisters. It was called an _Ape_. It was strange; she had never seen something like it before. It was an entire beast on it's own, vaguely she could recall Ichigo telling her that, that animal is the closest being on earth that is related to the human species—intelligence was a given.

 _Shit._

She was fighting something with something of human reflexes.

" **Dance:** Sode no Shirayuki, _Tsukishiro_!" She visibly scowled when the animals' leg was only a fraction inside the circle. She used the remaining of the pillars to shift her weight into the air, sliding left and right she slammed her zanpakuto and his sharp claws caught the stinging metal with a shrieking hiss.

She didn't need to call out the names of her dances anymore, it saved time and she moved faster. Unseal and _move_ —the clang of metal against his claws was matched perfectly— _why the hell couldn't she land a damn blow?_

The beast was blocking her hits seamlessly. The sun was setting. Orange glowed like candlelight in whickered baskets of the soil and the gold glimmered the wheat like coils of metal. The rock beneath her feet began to look more and more like soil—dark and gritty, brittle and loose.

 _Time._

 _She was running out of time._

 _He_ was still out there and she needed to bring this fight to an end.

The animal slammed his hand against her stomach and she coughed—eyes widening, blood dribbled down her chin. She flew back, smashing into the rock walls and her head spun from the force of the blow. Her stomach lurched uncomfortably and she tried to _breathe—_

But the beast was in front of her—smiling with his damn teeth, sharper than knives and his eyes were like two coals and she needed to _move_ —she rolled over and pointed her zanpakuto up and— _as if he knew what she was doing—_ he slammed his fist into the side of calf and she felt something _break._

Hoping to stun her long enough so she could pause her attack, even if it was just for a moment he would be able to finish her off.

Her mind wasn't working because all she could feel was pure, unadulterated pain shoot up from her calf to her knee and left side of her body. So she screamed—because it was agonizing and burning, blood began to splatter from the pressure that he was _still placing_ onto her crushed bone—

"Akari—manifest!" Rukia cried out and the trinket from her zanpakuto emerged into a silver blur of colors. The kitsune growled and he used his claws—to swipe at the animal and burn him with black ice—?

The animal yelped and pulled back as if he were burnt.

"Mistress!" Akari cried out, "Don't move!" He walked towards her, he began to lick the blood from her raw flesh and she sighed because he was mending her bones—healing her and she needed to _rid_ of this blinding pain!

Stars clotted her eyes and she blinked hard to destroy her weary and tired state. Her leg was healed and the side of her left kimono pants was destroyed. With one leg bare and the other covered, she stood up and took a stance.

The animal seemingly furious, charged at her and for a brief moment she felt an inkling of fear, fear won't help— _fear will strike you down._

But she was hard and determined. Hitsugaya was somewhere out there and she needed to get to him— _damn_ this beast. She stroke the air deliberately, her mind blanked out and she managed to catch him off guard—she slit the side of his ribs, blood dripping off her zanpakuto.

Akari manifested back into her trinket that dangled at her handle.

He howled—his claws scraped neck and down towards her clavicle. She fell to the ground with an inaudible yelp. Stars again clotted her vision, she saw him with eyes of coal and he walked towards her, slowly, almost tauntingly. She saw _her_ blood on his claws—

Ice curled around her hips and she was yanked into the air. Mauve-colored orbs widened in shock, but the ice crumbled like crushed snow and suddenly she was air-borne. A small cry left her mouth, when she saw the sky get smaller and smaller as she pulled down and strong arms grabbed her from underneath her waist and the other tucked under arms.

His hair was brighter than snow and his teeth were curled into a snarl at the beast. But it was his eyes that had her breathing stop. They were crystal. Crystal blue and she could the multiple facets that glimmered almost eerily off of his eyes, because they reflected a different shade of light and he was in his _bankai_ mode and his eyes weren't glowing teal—

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Rukia finally snapped out of her surprised, yet fascinated gaze, "What are you—how did you," She shook her head, ridding her thoughts of all questions—she did not have the time to ask him such questions, "Are you okay?"

Hitsugaya looked down at her, with his bangs brushing the sides of his forehead, his hard angular jaw clenching and unclenching, his eyes—she could stare at those eyes _forever_ and wonder just _how in the world—_

Her hair was long; it brushed the sides of her breasts and tumbled down the back of her shoulders towards the tips of her back ribs. It was matted with stale sweat; it shimmered like blue-black in the golden sun, a healthy glow filtered onto her cheeks. She had a thick cut on the side of her cheek and dried blood on the corner of her cheek. Her clothing looked like it was bit in pieces, but her eyes were clear and wide.

"I'm fine," He assured her, his voice was warmer, rougher and he turned his head back towards the animal. His wings were deeper and shaded with different tints of aqua—but there was something different—something stronger, "That is a _Satori_."

Her eyebrows screwed together, her hands grasped his shoulders and she was promptly confused as to why his sleeves were—sleeveless, but she was gripping onto hard muscle and the ice was like the sun that chilled her spine. "I assumed it was an ape, I saw one when I was in the World of the Living. It was a bit different than I remembered—"

He cut in, "You aren't wrong. It _is_ in ape. But this is Byakko's reign, animals here, they have different _rules_ —the Satori can read minds."

He knew her eyes widened without even having to look at her, she replied with incredulity, "How do we fight something that can _read_ our every move?"

Hitsugaya sighed, he looked at her tiredly, those crystal orbs of his glinted like diamonds, "Honestly, Rukia—I thought you of all people would understand."

He was speaking like Ichigo and she had to remind herself that this was a _Captain,_ she couldn't _just_ hit him, so she scowled, "Understand what?"

"The solution."

Rukia gritted her teeth, "Which is?"

But he smirked at her, vicious and dangerous. She refused to swallow and show her intimidation. His teeth were sharp and white—pink lips that curled – feral. "To not think."

She blinked.

 _Not think?_

Akari that was back into the trinket that dangled onto her zanpakuto snorted warm heat in her mind— _that is one slick bastard._

Sode no Shirayuki chuckled.

The Satori threw boulders with his _bare_ hands and he hissed when it flew to close to his cheek, on reflex he curled her small body closer to his inner shoulder and slid to the left, he breathed, "I usually abhor this type of fighting style, the substitute uses it recklessly—"

Lilac-orbs flashed.

"Instinct," She breathed, "Fight on instinct," Frowning at his approving half-smile, "Isn't that a bit hasty? To blindly rush into a fight?"

"Normally, yes. But under the current circumstances, we have no choice."

Rukia sighed, "Alright put me down, I have an idea."

Hitsugaya looked at her, eyes narrowed, "He will destroy you."

She looked at him dryly, "I've spent a lot of time with Ichigo. Trust me when I say I've picked up quite a few things during the extent of my stay with him."

He looked at her curiously, he gripped her tighter and his wings cut the air like knives he placed her onto the ground and the ape was _furious_ that his prey had resulted in ignoring him.

"Seeing that I can't fly," Rukia started, "You will take care of the aerial strikes, if he is distracted long enough I can get a clean strike."

"He can't handle us at two different directions." He understood, it was a bit of pride that leaked into his voice and he had to wonder as to why he felt _pride_?

"Exactly,"

Rukia rushed forward, her hand tight on her the hilt of her zanpakuto, she swiped the air left and then she switched right—the swipe cutting into the flesh near its rib. Hitsugaya pulled his hand back and trudged forward. Ice in vines, curled into the animal and she snarled, " **San no mai,** _Shirafune."_

Sode no Shirayuki's blade is embedded into his stomach, ice clotting the wound covering him in ice and she yanks her blade out. Ice glittering in the sun. He shattered.

She was breathing hard. That attack took a lot out of her. Her leg was fine; Akari healed it. But she still had a bruised stomach and a possible concussion. Hitsugaya swooped down and grabbed her again.

Rukia squeaked at the sudden movement, she quickly placed her hands on his shoulders, using it to sit up straight and question him with her eyes. "What is it?"

The sun had set. It was darker, with cotton-threaded shades of indigo and the moon was pale in the peach sky. It was warm breeze that caressed the rather stinging cut on her left cheek, her hair warmed like chestnut in the sunlight. If Hitsugaya looked at her close enough, he could count the dark strands that were bathed in the glowing sky.

"Let's get the hell out of here," He exhaled, his eyes closed for the briefest moment and then he opened them again. Glacier crystal his eyes were, he set off to the place where they entered—they could get lost for an eternity in here if they didn't make it till it turned nightfall.

Rukia was about to object, saying that she had two legs and she could walk—but she couldn't fly. So her hands curled into his shoulders tighter, he looked at her and she looked down.

It was like something of a picture book. The trees, the flowers, the wheat, the river—the _mountains_. It looked surreal and it was hard to believe that she was in a place—like this.

Which reminded her, "Where were you? I couldn't sense you anywhere."

Hitsugaya replied swiftly, "The Mountains are made out of sekkiseki, you can't sense anything from there—I only found you because I heard you screaming."

She grimaced.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

He still didn't answer her question, "I'm fine." A pause, "After I killed the Itsumade, you disappeared—where did you go?"

His grip on her tightened, "Later. It's a long story."

She nodded.

"Try and get some rest. I'll wake you when we are outside."

Rukia flickered her eyes up, but he was looking straight a head. She couldn't read his face, something in her loosened. She was exhausted to say at least, she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

 **X**

"Rukia? Rukia. Rukia!"

She awoke to her name, which was spoken in various tones of voice. Her head was resting underneath his chin, leaning onto his collarbone and chest. She could barely feel the underside of her knees and her waist, which was now slightly warmer than she remembered.

"We're in the forest of Rukon. It's about a couple more miles before we return to walls of the Seireitei." Hitsugaya's eyes were teal again and not crystal, but he was so close to her that if she blinked, her eyelashes would brush his. She suddenly remembered that she was _still_ in his arms, being carried like an injured warrior. She flushed despite herself and hurried out of his arms.

She mumbled a quick apology and straightened up. Rukia turned her head to face him and thank her, but her head barely brushed the top of his ribs. Frowning, she tilted her head up to see him tower of her.

 _What._

She wasn't aware that she had spoken that aloud, so she blankly blurted, "What the hell."

He blinked, tilting his head down to face her.

He blinked again.

 _Then it clicked._

His torn clothes weren't a result of his battle or confrontation, but his growth spurt. The Mizuchi did say his body wasn't suited for his reiatsu—apparently this is what he meant.

"Huh."

A moment of incredulity passed.

Rukia very nearly gaped, "Why did you _grow_ and I didn't?" She grasped her hair with frustration, "You get nearly three feet of extra height, and what do I get? _Hair—I get hair_."

Despite the absurdity of the situation—

Hitsugaya laughed.

And suddenly the world felt a whole lot brighter.

* * *

 **I don't like this chapter—Hitsugaya is so** _ **hard**_ **to write, holy crap. Updates will be hella' lot slower because my semester starts next week. And I write roughly 25-30 pages worth of a chapter.**

 **Satori: An ape that can read minds.**

 **The Mizuchi will have a thorough explanation and the kitsune as well in the next chapter. Ichigo will be popping up soon.**

 **I also wrote a oneshot called, "In Terms of Comfort," which is a snippet of this story around chapter ten—which hasn't been posted nor written :'D**

 **Heh.**

 _Please Review!_


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